Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady put running back James Cook on notice Tuesday, saying Cook’s carries will decrease if he does not clean up a fumbling problem that has followed him into the 2026 season. Cook lost two fumbles in the Bills’ 37-34 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5, the latest in a string of costly turnovers that has coaches and teammates on alert even as Cook leads the NFL in rushing.
“It’s gotta improve, or the carries are gonna decrease,” Brady said, addressing the issue directly after review of the Rams game.
The Main Development
Cook’s second fumble came on the opening possession of overtime, when Rams linebacker Nate Landman punched the ball loose and Aaron Donald recovered it. The turnover came right after Josh Allen connected with Khalil Shakir on a 57-yard pass that had put Buffalo in field goal range. The Rams blocked the ensuing 48-yard field goal attempt that would have ended the game, and Buffalo needed another drive to finally win it in overtime.
Brady did not soften his message. “Right now, we’re putting the ball in harm’s way. We know the way that we lose football games is we turn the ball over.
Our two best players turned the ball over last night,” he said. “James put the ball on the ground. Look, he’s doing so many good things running the football.
I don’t want to lose sight of how great he’s running the ball right now. But we’re putting the ball on the ground, and it’s negating all the positive.”
What It Means For Cook’s Workload
Cook now has four fumbles through five games in 2026 and 11 since the start of the 2025 season, including the postseason. No non-quarterback in the league has fumbled more than Cook this year, and only Cam Skattebo matches his total among running backs. Brady made clear that trust in Cook as a runner has not disappeared, but patience with turnovers has limits.
“I have all the confidence in him. That’s why I put him right back out there,” Brady said. “But at some point there has to be consequences when we’re putting negative stuff out there.
The conversations that we’re having are ongoing. James knows. It’s important to him.
But that can’t happen. It’s gonna cost us football games. It almost cost us one.
But we can’t get confused because we won the game; that’s OK.”
Brady’s actions after the fumble suggested the confidence is still real for now. He called Cook’s number on the very next offensive snap, and Cook carried twice for three yards on Buffalo’s eventual winning drive. Later in the game, however, Brady chose not to hand Cook the ball near the two-minute warning from the Rams’ 27-yard line, a decision he tied to the chaotic finish of the Giants-Commanders game the day before.
Context: Cook’s Production This Season
The fumbles stand out largely because of how productive Cook has otherwise been. He is averaging 106.4 yards per game through his first five contests of 2026 and is the NFL’s leading rusher dating back to the start of 2025, with 245 more yards than the next closest runner. Cook won the league rushing title last season with 1,621 yards and led the NFL with 16 touchdowns the year before that.
His role has also expanded. Cook’s snap share has climbed from 44% two seasons ago to 56% last season to roughly 70% in 2026, according to Yahoo Sports. Unlike many feature backs, Cook does not catch passes or pass block, meaning his entire job on the field is to carry the ball and protect it.
Backfield Impact
Buffalo’s other running backs have barely factored into the offense this season. Ty Johnson and Ray Davis have combined for just five carries for eight yards along with 12 catches for 166 yards, underscoring how much the Bills lean on Cook. Brady’s warning raises the stakes for that dependence if the carries shift.
“James understands when you hold the football, you’re holding the whole entire organization in his hands,” Brady said, according to ESPN. “When he’s running the football, there’s nobody else I want when he’s running it. But look, we’ve got to be able to come up with the football.”
What’s Next
Brady’s comments came two days after Buffalo’s Monday night win over the Rams, detailed in the Bills’ preview of the matchup, which had flagged Los Angeles’ pass defense as the central challenge. The Bills’ defensive injury situation, covered in the report on Ed Oliver and Joshua Palmer being ruled out, adds to the list of issues Buffalo must manage heading into its next game. How Brady handles Cook’s workload in practice and in the coming matchup will be the clearest signal of whether Tuesday’s warning leads to an actual change in carries.
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