The Buffalo Bills have one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, so of course, they decided to deploy an offense built around an elite running game for the 2025 NFL season. All sarcasm aside, the Bills did possess an elite rushing attack last season, totaling league-high numbers in carries (547), yards (2,714), and touchdowns (30) while averaging five yards per attempt, which was good for the No. 2 spot in the league.
Buffalo’s stable of running backs showed time and again that they could make plays against
even the toughest competition, and for the first time since O.J. Simpson in 1976, a Bills running back led the NFL in rushing yards. Talk about playing good complementary football.
Given that all four of Buffalo’s primary running backs are under contract next season, it seems like the team would decide to carry over the same personnel, right? Right? Well, with a difficult salary cap situation to navigate, nothing is set in stone, and there is one key member of the offensive backfield who is not under contract entering the 2026 NFL season.
In our latest discussion of the state of the Buffalo Bills roster, we profile the running backs — and fullback — who suited up for the team last season.
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James Cook III
Contract Status for 2026: Signed; first year of four-year, $46 million extension ($5.88 million cap hit; $12.2 million dead-cap number)
Age: 26 (27 on 9/25/2026)
Playing Time: 17 games (17 starts), 639 offensive snaps (56.45% of team total)
Key Statistics: 309 carries, NFL-leading 1,621 rushing yards, 12 TD, 6 fumbles, 40 targets, 33 receptions, 291 receiving yards, 2 receiving TD
I’ll admit it. I’m one of the idiots who thought that the Bills should just let James Cook go if he was unhappy with his contract. Thankfully, nobody listens to me anyway. Now, Cook’s holdout is so last summer, and he definitely proved through his performance that running backs like him are nowhere near a dime a dozen. Cook became the first Buffalo Bills player since O.J. Simpson in 1976 to lead the NFL in rushing, and he also became the first Bills player since Juice to surpass 1,600 yards on the ground.
The only negative to Cook’s season was that he fumbled six times, which equaled his career total coming into the year. His last fumble in the Divisional Round killed Buffalo’s momentum, as the Bills were driving with a chance to go ahead 14-3. Instead, their drive ended, Denver marched down the field, and Buffalo trailed 10-7.
Cook is a dynamic rusher who still could see more use in the passing game. Hopefully, Joe Brady the head coach-slash-offensive play-caller uses Cook in that role more than Joe Brady the offensive coordinator did. Aside from Josh Allen, Cook is the offensive player who should have the ball most, and he proved that he was worth every penny of his extension this season.
Ray Davis
Contract Status for 2026: Signed; third year of four-year rookie deal ($1,253,297 cap hit; $356,594 dead-cap number)
Age: 26 (27 on 11/11/2026)
Playing Time: 17 games, 131 special teams snaps (30.18% of team total), 168 offensive snaps (14.84% of team total)
Key Statistics: 58 carries, 275 rushing yards, 13 targets, 10 receptions, 86 receiving yards, 2 receiving TD, 31 kickoff returns, 943 kickoff return yards (NFL-leading 30.4 YPR), 1 kickoff return TD
If you guessed before the season started that Davis would be Buffalo’s only First-Team All-Pro during the 2025 season, please give me the Power Ball numbers when you have a minute. Davis was an afterthought offensively, but he developed into an elite kickoff return man, leading the NFL in average yards per return. Whether that was due to recently departed special teams coordinator Chris Tabor’s scheming or Davis’ innate ability is yet to be seen, but regardless of the scheme, Davis has to have some ability in order to be the league’s leader in return average.
He’s still a useful change-of-pace back, as well, and while it’s hard to find snaps with an elite starter like Cook playing in front of him and an excellent third-down back in Ty Johnson on the squad, Davis is a valuable piece on offense. He’s a hard-nosed runner and a good receiver out of the backfield. He’ll definitely have a role next season.
Ty Johnson
Contract Status for 2026: Signed; final year of two-year, $5 million contract ($3.025 million cap hit; $820,000 dead-cap number)
Age: 28 (29 on 9/17/2026)
Playing Time: 17 games, 335 offensive snaps (29.59% of team total), 127 special teams snaps (29.26% of team total)
Key Statistics: 50 carries, 200 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD, 1 fumble, 33 targets, 24 receptions, 263 receiving yards, 2 receiving TD, 11 kickoff returns, 240 kickoff return yards (21.8 YPR)
Johnson’s absence in the playoffs was certainly felt, and he could have come in handy as a receiver during Buffalo’s season-ending loss to the Denver Broncos. He’s carved out a solid niche in Buffalo’s offense, and with Joe Brady sticking around for the immediate future, it’s not a stretch to assume that Johnson will remain firmly in Buffalo’s plans entering his age-29 season.
The Bills could decide that saving just over $2 million by releasing Johnson is more valuable than the player himself, but I doubt it. While Buffalo needs to find creative ways to clear cap space, I don’t think moving on from one of the league’s better situational running backs is the path the team should take to do so.
Reggie Gilliam
Contract Status for 2026: Unsigned; UFA
Age: 28 (29 on 8/20/2026)
Playing Time: 17 games (2 starts), 332 special teams snaps (76.5% of team total), 235 offensive snaps (20.76% of team total)
Key Statistics: 2 carries, 4 rushing yards, 2 targets, 2 receptions, 24 receiving yards
The special teams ace is set to enter free agency this spring, but the Bills would be wise to try and retain his services. Gilliam is a core special teams player, sure, but he’s also an important part of the offense as a lead blocker and designated shover of quarterback Josh Allen on QB sneak plays.
Gilliam might not generate big statistics, but any time the league’s leading rusher plays in your backfield, it makes a fullback feel pretty, pretty great. Buffalo should try to ink Gilliam to a longer-term deal so that they can spread his cap hit out over time.
Frank Gore Jr.
Contract Status for 2026: Signed reserve/futures contract ($1.935 million total value; $885,000 cap hit; $0 dead cap if released)
Age: 23 (24 on 3/13/2026)
Playing Time: NA
Key Statistics: NA
The second-year man made his NFL debut this past postseason, taking his first snaps in Buffalo’s 27-24 Wild Card victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Gore even registered his first statistics, as he caught a six-yard pass from Josh Allen. While he only appeared on special teams in the Divisional Round, it was nice to see that Gore was ready to perform when called upon in pressure situations.
He’ll have a legitimate chance at making the roster as RB3 next season, though he’d have to prove himself to be tremendously valuable to unseat Johnson.
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Final Thoughts
Really, the Bills have two choices to make here. Do they want to re-sign Gilliam? Do they think that saving $2.2 million by releasing Johnson is worth the hit they’ll take in terms of production on third downs? If you’re asking me, the answers to those questions, respectively, are “yes” and “no.”
Gilliam should be a priority re-signing for multiple reasons. First, he’s an outstanding contributor on special teams, and he serves as a blocker on the kick return unit that produced last season’s First-Team All-Pro returner. He’s vital to Buffalo’s short-yardage offense, as he serves as the designated Josh Allen-pusher on quarterback sneaks, and he’s also an excellent lead blocker in one of the league’s best rushing attacks.
For what should be a fairly reasonable contract — think something similar to the Sam Franklin deal that Gilliam’s fellow special teams ace signed (three years, $6.49 million). That would allow the Bills to retain their only fullback at a very reasonable price.
As for Ty Johnson, the math seems to favor release, and I’ve seen that idea floated in a few places outside of Bills Mafia-dominated spaces. If Buffalo were to release Johnson, that would mean they would either add another running back or promote Frank Gore Jr. to active-roster status. The dead cap on Johnson’s deal is $820,000 and the money on Gore’s contract for the year is $885,000. Add those together, and it would cost the Bills $1.705 million to make that swap, but it would cost $3.025 million for the Bills to keep Johnson on his current contract.
Is it worth an extra $1.32 million in cap space to downgrade the third-down back spot on a team that runs as often as Buffalo does? Even with the cap situation looking perilous, I just don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze.
James Cook III has risen to the level of elite running back. Ray Davis rose to the level of elite kickoff returner last season, and he continued to show promise as a receiver when given limited offensive opportunities. Perhaps the Bills want to give Davis more chances on offense, so releasing Ty Johnson gives them the opportunity to do just that.
The only argument I have against doing that is Johnson’s production, as he has averaged 6.8 yards per touch since joining the Bills during the 2023 season. Comparing that to Cook III (5.6 yards per touch) and Davis (5 yards per touch) over the same span gives you an idea of just how good he’s been when given the chance to shine. Of course, Cook III has significantly more touches than Johnson does, but Johnson has a comparable number of touches to Davis (Johnson has 170 touches while Davis has 198) and his production looks good in comparison.
Sometimes, the best moves a team can make are the moves that they don’t make. At running back, there’s no need to overthink it. Buffalo should run it back with the same crew next season.
