Running back James Cook helped the Bills put on a show on Sunday night in Buffalo, rushing for 44 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts—while also catching five passes for 58 yards—in the team's last-second 41-40 win over the Ravens.
Cook was drafted by the Bills out of Georgia in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, and alongside quarterback Josh Allen, has been imperative to Buffalo's recent success on offense. He was rewarded with a four-year, $48 million contract this offseason, and on Sunday, played in his 50th NFL game.
Still just 25 years old, Cook seemingly has a long runway ahead of him in a young NFL career. Now at the 50-game benchmark, it's worth taking a look at how his production stacks up against other notable backs at the same stage of their careers.
James Cook Stats Through First 50 Career Games
Cook has been a lightning rod for Buffalo since his arrival in 2022. Over his first three-plus NFL seasons, he's run the ball 546 times for 2,682 yards and 21 touchdowns. These numbers come out to 4.9 yards per rush and a score every 26 carries.
A factor in the passing game as well, Cook has hauled in 102 receptions for 941 yards and seven touchdowns over his first 50 games while averaging 9.2 yards per catch.
Now let's stack these up against some other current and former running backs through the first 50 games of their NFL careers:
James Cook vs. Derrick Henry Through First 50 Career Games
The gold standard for running backs, and more specifically running back longevity, is Derrick Henry. The 31-year-old has gotten better with age, as seen by his 169-yard, two-touchdown performance against Cook and the Bills, and he undoubtedly benefitted from being eased into his NFL career by his former team in the Titans.
You wouldn't think it given the career accolades, but through 50 games, Henry and Cook have similar numbers both on the ground and through the air. Cook has averaged more yards per carry—resulting in a handful more yards despite having fewer attempts—and also has outpaced Henry in receiving volume.
Henry, of course, has played the long game as he enters Year 10. Here's a complete comparison of their stats at the 50-game mark:
James Cook vs. Todd Gurley Through First 50 Career Games
The exact opposite of longevity is what happened to former Rams and Falcons running back Todd Gurley.
After taking the league by storm over his first several seasons, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft was forced to retire early due to a chronic knee injury. His peak, however, was one of the best we've seen in the league. Gurley was the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2015, the Offensive Player of the Year in '17, and led the NFL in touchdowns in both '17 and '18, leading to two-straight First-Team All-Pro nods.
Unfortunately, his hot start may have led to his early exit. Through 50 games, however, he outpaced James Cook in everything except yards per carry.
James Cook vs. Ezekiel Elliott Through First 50 Career Games
Another example of a running back being run into the ground early is Ezekiel Elliott. The former Cowboy and Patriot shined in Dallas to begin his NFL career, earning First-Team All-Pro honors as a rookie after he led the league in rushing yards.
Elliott was also a Second-Team All-Pro in his third season thanks to, again, leading the league in rushing, and was voted a Pro Bowler three times over his seven years with the Cowboys.
Like Gurley, Zeke also outpaced Cook over 50 games in almost every counting stat—the two had the same amount of receiving touchdowns with seven.
James Cook vs. Thurman Thomas Through First 50 Career Games
It would have felt inauthentic to discuss Cook's solid start to his career without comparing it to Bills legend Thurman Thomas.
Thomas played 11 seasons in Buffalo and, despite a high usage rate throughout his first several seasons, was able to maintain quality production throughout the majority of his tenure in upstate New York.
A true dual-threat, Thomas put up better numbers than Cook in the passing game over his first 50 games, and also carried the ball nearly 300 more times. Cook, however, was more efficient on the ground in terms of yards per carry and touchdowns scored.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How James Cook's First 50 Career Games Compare to Derrick Henry, Other Top Running Backs.