Who Should I Start? James Cook or Kaleb Johnson

Thursday, May 8, 7:58 AM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook skipped the initial portion of the team's voluntary offseason workout program, but general manager Brandon Beane expects him to be ready for football when the time comes. Cook's holdout stems from contract talks, which are ongoing between the running back and team executives. "I know we've had people in the building that he's been talking with, and I have no doubt when it's time to play football, he'll be ready to roll," Beane said. Although an exact timeline is unclear, Cook could return as soon as June 10, when the Bills begin their mandatory minicamp for veteran players. Per the terms of the CBA, any player who misses all three days of mandatory minicamp will be hit with fines exceeding $100,000 total. That amount could be a drop in the bucket compared to Cook's next contract, but it's still a significant price to pay for missing three days of practice. Extending Cook would be in the Bills' best interest after he totaled 1,267 scrimmage yards and a career-high 18 touchdowns last season.

Wednesday, April 30, 1:36 PM

The Athletic's Mike DeFabo lists Pittsburgh Steelers rookie third-round running back Kaleb Johnson as a co-starter with Jaylen Warren in an early look at the team's positional battles this offseason. Johnson, who stands at 6-foot-1, 224 pounds, is a physical back that is built to carry the load. It remains to be seen how the Steelers will divvy up the touches in their backfield in 2025, but it's widely believed that Johnson was taken with the 83rd overall pick to essentially replace Najee Harris, who signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. The 21-year-old had 240 carries for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns for Iowa in 2024 and also caught 22 passes for 188 yards and two more TDs. Warren starred in a third-down role for Pittsburgh his first three years and will take valuable touches away from Johnson in his rookie campaign, even if Johnson is the go-to guy on early downs.