Cook credits Barkley for raising payroll bar for running backs as Bills prepare to host Eagles

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo's James Cook reflected on his offseason contract dispute with pride, a sense of unfinished business and a nod to Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley.

Though the Bills' fourth-year running back might already be outperforming the four-year, $46 million contract extension he signed in August following a week-long hold-in, the NFL’s rushing leader enters Week 17 feeling vindicated for banking on himself.

“You got to do what you got to do. You need to take care of your family, and that’s what I did,” Cook said Friday, referring to his contract dispute that included him skipping all of the team’s spring voluntary practices.

At the same time, Cook thinks he has more to prove.

“The job’s not even finished," he said. "So just keep going.”

With a career-best 1,532 yards rushing, Cook has a 43-yard lead over the Colts' Jonathan Taylor in what stands as a two-way race for the rushing title.

What’s fitting for Cook this weekend as the Bills (11-4) prepare to host the Eagles (10-5) on Sunday is him owing his on- and off-field achievements to Barkley. If not for the Philadelphia running back raising the payroll bar for all players at his position, Cook figured he might still be spinning his wheels while seeking a pay raise.

“He set the standard. He set the mark,” Cook said of Barkley turning his league-leading 2,005 yards rushing last year into a two-year contract $41.2 million extension that made him the NFL’s first running back to average more than $20 million a season.

“Last year, he set the rushing title," Cook added. "And I’m just trying to replicate it.”

Two of the NFL’s premier running backs will square off in expected sloppy conditions, with the forecast calling for a wintery mix of snow and rain Sunday.

In Buffalo, Cook has scored 12 touchdowns and topped 100 yards nine times while taking the load off quarterback Josh Allen and contributing to the Bills reaching the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season.

In Philadelphia, Barkley has found his footing and the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles appear to have rediscovered their balanced offensive identity.

Barkley has topped 100 yards twice in the past three games after doing so just once in the first 12. The Eagles have won two in a row and are coming off a 29-18 win over Washington during which they became the first team to clinch consecutive NFC East titles since they did so over a four-year span from 2001-04.

Barkley said he “never lost faith” in the offense or coordinator Kevin Patullo, who was criticized for the Eagles' sluggish start.

“It’s always not going to be pretty. The stat line isn’t always going to be 100 rushing yards,” he said. "When we get our running game going, we’re going to be a hard team to beat.”

Barkley noted he exchanged messages on Instagram with Cook this week.

“He's the leading rusher right now and I sent him a message, like, ‘Go finish,” he said. "He’s a guy who’s had a heck of a year. ... Super excited to go against him. Wish him the best, but not too well against our team.”

Barkley has an opportunity to thrive against a Bills defense that has allowed 150 or more yards rushing seven times this season, and will be missing three defensive tackles to injury.

The Bills, however, can counter with Cook, whose 12 TDs rushing are tied for fourth in the NFL.

Bills coach Sean McDermott praised Cook for emerging as a team leader and for how he didn’t get comfortable after signing a new contract.

“The week to week intensity is different than last year,” McDermott said. “He had some big games last year, but the look in his eye each week, the intensity that he shows up with, it’s really been influential on our whole football team.”

Jake Elliott used to be so automatic on field goals he earned the nickname Jake the Make. He has been off so much this season that he’s now looking over his shoulder.

Elliott missed both field goal attempts — three, if you include a 57-yard miss nullified by a penalty — last weekend, and is 17 of 24 overall this season.

“I’ve got to figure some stuff out,” Elliott said.

Sirianni continued to back Elliott by saying: “I have a ton of confidence in him and that he’ll rebound from whatever setbacks that he has.”

Sirianni might be from Jamestown, New York, some 75 miles south of Buffalo, but he grew up a fan of the Steelers rather than the Bills.

“It’s not any different for me,” he said of the homecoming, while noting he'll have plenty of friends and family in attendance.

As for who they'll be rooting for, Sirianni smiled and said: “They better root for us. ... If I see that they're wearing Bills stuff, we'll have words and they won't be invited the next time.”

Allen joked when asked what it would mean for Cook to win the NFL rushing title.

“It would mean a lot and then maybe no OTAs for anybody,” Allen said, noting Cook skipped all of Buffalo's voluntary spring sessions.

“You know, just get everyone fresh legs. No, I'm kidding," he added, before saying he believes his teammate is already underpaid. “Probably, yeah. But all he cares about is winning football games right now, and it's pretty awesome.”

AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston, in Philadelphia, contributed to this report.

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) is brought down by Las Vegas Raiders outside linebacker Elandon Roberts (52) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III (4) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the first half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley celebrates a first down against Washington Commanders safety Will Harris (3) during the first half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III celebrates his touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the first half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago (11-4) at San Francisco (11-4)

Sunday, 8:15 p.m. EST, NBC.

BetMGM NFL Odds: 49ers by 3.

Against the spread: Bears 9-5-1; 49ers 10-5.

Series record: 49ers lead 36-33-1.

Last meeting: 49ers beat Bears 38-13 Dec. 8, 2025, in Santa Clara, Calif.

Last week: Bears beat the Packers 22-16 in OT; 49ers beat the Colts 48-27.

Bears offense: overall (5), rush (2), pass (14), scoring (10).

Bears defense: overall (24), rush (27), pass (18), scoring (19).

49ers offense: overall (9), rush (24), pass (5), scoring (9).

49ers defense: overall (18), rush (8), pass (23), scoring (11).

Turnover differential: Bears plus-21; 49ers minus-4.

DB Nahshon Wright forced a fumble last week and has 5 INTs, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles on the season. The only other player to hit those marks in the past 17 seasons was Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2019.

QB Brock Purdy became the first Niners QB to throw at least five TDs in a game last week since Steve Young did it in Super Bowl 29 a little more than 30 years ago. Purdy has thrown eight TD passes and only one INT the past two weeks and has multiple TD passes in five of his seven starts this season. Purdy leads the NFL with a 130 passer rating on third down this season.

Bears running game against 49ers defense. Chicago ranks second in the NFL in rushing and has had at least 138 yards in seven of the past eight games. The Niners rank third best in the NFL in allowing 87.4 yards per game since Week 11 and held Jonathan Taylor to 46 yards last week.

Bears: WR Luther Burden III (ankle) returned to practice after missing last week's game and will play this week. ... WR Rome Odunze (foot) remains sidelined. ... LB T.J. Edwards (glute), CB Nahshon Wright (hamstring) and CB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson are all questionable.

49ers: TE George Kittle (ankle) left last week's game with an ankle injury and is questionable this week. ... WR Ricky Pearsall (knee) also is listed as questionable after missing last week's game. ... CB Renardo Green (neck) will miss his second straight game.

The teams have alternated wins and losses in the past nine meetings. ... The Bears are 2-1 all time at Levi's Stadium. ... The 49ers are 3-2 against the Bears under coach Kyle Shanahan. ... This marks the first time these teams are playing in a season when both made the playoffs since 2001 when Chicago beat San Francisco 37-31 in Week 7.

The Bears clinched a playoff spot last week and can clinch their first division title since 2018 with either a win or a loss by Green Bay. ... Chicago's plus-21 turnover margin is the second best for any team through 15 games in the past 13 seasons, behind only the plus-23 for the 2019 Patriots. ... The previous time the Bears finished a season plus-21 or better came in 1985 when they were plus-23 on the way to winning the franchise's only Super Bowl title. ... Chicago is the first team in NFL history to win six games after trailing in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. ... Bears TE Colston Loveland has at least three catches in 10 straight games for the fifth-longest streak by a rookie TE since the merger. ... Chicago QB Caleb Williams has nine TD passes and a 100.1 passer rating on third down. ... Pro Bowl DB Kevin Byard III leads the NFL with six INTs, the most by any Bears defender since 2018. ... The Bears haven't allowed an opening-drive score in seven straight games and have given an NFL-low 10 points on opening drives this season. San Francisco has five TDs and one FG on seven opening drives with Purdy at QB. ... The 49ers clinched their fourth playoff spot in the past five seasons last week and will earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC with wins in their final two games. ... San Francisco is 4-0 in prime-time games this season. ... The 48 points for the Niners last week were their most in a game since they also scored 48 against New Orleans on Dec. 8, 2019. ... San Francisco has gone back-to-back games without punting for the first time in franchise history. ... Christian McCaffrey's 92 catches this season are tied with Roger Craig in 1985 for the most by any running back in 49ers history. ... McCaffrey is second in the NFL with 1,888 yards from scrimmage and ranks third with 16 TDs. ... WR Jauan Jennings has at least one TD catch in four straight games, tied for the longest streak for a Niners player since Vernon Davis did it five games in a row in 2013. ... Jennings' seven TD catches since Week 9 are one off the NFL lead held by Davante Adams. ... Rookies Alfred Collins and C.J. West had their first career sacks last week, marking the first time San Francisco got sacks from two rookies in the same game since 2016. ... The 49ers rank second in the NFL converting 50% of third down opportunities.

Bears WR D.J. Moore is coming off a season-high 97 yards receiving last week, including the game-winning TD in overtime. He has three touchdown catches the past two games and five in the past five games and could be a good option with Chicago short-handed at receiver.

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San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs against Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Zaire Franklin (44) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams gets away from Green Bay Packers' Lukas van Ness during the second half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) passes against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)