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Running back James Cook of the Buffalo Bills.
The Green Bay Packers may not reunite with running back Josh Jacobs anytime soon given the most recent developments in his ongoing absence from NFL eligibility, which may call for yet another move at the position — and a bigger swing this time than a trade for Kaleb Johnson involving a sixth-round pick or signing Pierre Strong Jr. out of free agency.
Saquon Barkley is perhaps the most talented running back who could end up on the market after the Philadelphia Eagles lost one starting offensive lineman to retirement before losing another to a trade with the Baltimore Ravens — all last week, before Philly went on to lose its third game of the season in five tries, this one to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in heartbreaking fashion.
However, the other big-name RB facing a tumultuous situation with his team currently is James Cook of the Buffalo Bills. While Barkley’s issues in 2026 are injuries and his franchise potentially transitioning early to reset mode, thereby muddying the player-team timelines, Cook’s problems boil down to ball security.
And while that may not make him an absolutely ideal trade candidate for the Packers, as Green Bay doesn’t need a fumble-prone rusher to enter the lineup and gobble up the majority of its carries, it does indicate the proverbial trouble in paradise between Cook and the Bills. That, in turn, could render him tradable inside of the next four weeks, regardless of how implausible it seems now.
Bills Head Coach Joe Brady Called Out James Cook Publicly After RB Fumbled Twice Against Rams on MNF
Bills head coach Joe Brady did not discuss dealing, or otherwise parting ways, with the 27-year-old running back/three-time Pro Bowler who has four years and $46 million remaining on his contract, which includes the current campaign.
However, he did talk with the media directly about consequences for Cook if he can’t hold onto the football.
“Look, he’s doing so many good things running the football,” Brady said of Cook Tuesday, per ESPN. “But putting the ball on the ground, it’s negating all the positive. I have all the confidence in him. That’s why I put him right back out there. But obviously, at some point there has to be consequences to when we’re putting negative stuff out there.”
Those consequences, Brady added, will begin with a reduction in usage.
“It’s going to cost us football games. It almost cost us one,” Brady continued. “We can’t confuse because we won the game that that’s OK. It’s got to improve or the carries are going to decrease.”
Packers Have Worst Rushing Attack in NFL
Buffalo outlasted the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football by a score of 37-34 in overtime. Cook fumbled twice during the contest, losing the football to L.A. once.
All told, Cook has put the football on the ground four times through five games, which leads the NFL. He has lost two of those fumbles. However, Cook has rushed for 532 yards and five TDs at a clip of 5.6 yards per carry, adding seven receptions for 31 yards.
Meanwhile, Green Bay is producing 60.4 yards of rushing offense per contest, which is the worst mark in the league. The offense has also scored just twice on the ground, both times coming last Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
It would be more than a little shocking if the Bills even entertained trading Cook, let alone actually put him on the market.
But if he keeps fumbling and starts losing snaps, and that impacts his relationship with the coaching staff — let’s just say that crazier things have happened in the NFL, especially if the Packers were to come to the Bills with an offer of, let’s say, a second-round draft pick in 2027 and a fifth-rounder in 2028.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
