James Cook's carries could decrease if fumbles continue, says Joe Brady

Bills head coach Joe Brady has put running back James Cook on notice after his second fumble in Monday night’s 37-34 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams. Brady said Cook’s carries will decrease if he keeps putting the ball on the ground.

What happened

Cook fumbled twice in the win, including a costly one in overtime just outside the Rams’ 20-yard line that gave Los Angeles a chance to win. The Rams recovered, but Greg Rousseau blocked a field goal attempt, and the Bills drove for the winning kick by Tyler Bass.

According to ProFootballTalk, Brady said Tuesday that the victory does not erase what happened. “At some point there has to be consequences when we’re putting negative stuff out there,” Brady said. “It’s got to improve or the carries are going to decrease.”

Brady also acknowledged that quarterback Josh Allen threw an interception and that the team has been “putting the ball in harm’s way” too often.

Context

Cook’s fumble on Monday was his second of the game and fourth this season. He also has 11 fumbles since the start of the 2025 season, according to ProFootballTalk. Over that same span, he leads the league with 2,153 rushing yards.

Through five games in 2026, Cook has 95 carries for 532 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, plus seven catches for 31 yards. His 89.3 PPR points lead the Bills’ running backs, and he has played 67% of the offensive snaps.

In Week 5 he had 25 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns, but the fumbles have become a concern.

Timeline

On October 15, 2026, Fantasy Football Desk reported that Cook fumbled twice in Monday night’s overtime win over the Rams. Head coach Joe Brady said at that time that Cook’s carries could decrease if his ball security issues continued, and that the second fumble came after a 57-yard completion from Josh Allen to Khalil Shakir. Rams linebacker Nate Landman punched the ball loose and Aaron Donald recovered.

Depth chart

Ty Johnson is listed as the Bills’ RB2. He has 23.4 PPR points in three games, with 10 catches for 131 receiving yards on 10 targets and just three rushing yards on one carry. Ray Davis is the RB3 with 6.3 PPR points in five games, having four carries for eight yards and two catches for 35 yards.

What’s next

The Bills visit the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6 on Sunday, October 18. Cook is projected for 16.9 PPR points, but his workload could be affected if the fumbles continue.