Bills-Bears blockbuster trade proposal adds 18-TD missing piece to Chicago's offense

While James Cook did show up to mandatory minicamp this week, he did not take part in practice as he continues to seek a new contract from the Buffalo Bills.

Unfortunately for Buffalo, things are looking very shaky with its star running back who, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, is "unhappy" and has "disconnected" himself from the team and community.

After that report, Locked on Bills host Joe Marino shared the belief that Cook may not want to stay in Buffalo, period, and perhaps he's trying to force his way out.

Sorting through what's noise and what's reality in these types of situations can be difficult, no doubt, but all signs point to this situation between Cook and Buffalo ending badly.

And that has led to analysts firing away with trade proposals that see Cook jettisoned elsewhere. One of those proposals comes from On SI's Dave Holcomb, who has the Bills sending Cook to Chicago.

"D'Andre Swift will return as Chicago's top running back," Holcomb wrote. "Last season, he gained 959 yards on the ground. But his efficiency was terrible, as he averaged 3.8 yards per carry.

"Averaging an additional yard per carry, Cook would be a literal bolt of lightning for Chicago's offense," he concluded.

The Bears could definitely use an upgrade at running back after last year's starter, D'Andre Swift, averaged a disappointing 3.8 yards per carry. Swift is also better suited playing in a complementary role rather than a lead one.

Jun 11, 2025; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. (20) works out with running back James Cook (4) during Minicamp at Highmark Stadium | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Chicago had its eyes on Ashton Jeanty in the draft, but their hopes of landing him didn't come to fruition. Now, Chicago is facing a situation where it'll have to run it back with Swift and Roschon Johnson.

That is, unless they can get their hands on an upgrade, which Cook would no doubt be.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Cook can do it all. He's a strong, explosive runner and can catch passes out of the backfield with the best of them, and he's got an impressive history of production with two-straight 1,000-yard rushing campaigns.

In 2024, Cook rushed for 1,009 yards, caught 32 passes for 258 yards and scored 18 total touchdowns (16 rushing). He also had 4.9 yards per carry, over a full yard more than Swift.

Assuming the Bears wouldn't send Swift back to Buffalo in a trade, which is certainly plausible given the Bills would have a huge void to fill at running back, a duo of Cook and Swift would be an electric one-two punch capable of taking pressure off Caleb Williams.

In terms of trade compensation, the Bears would likely have to give up in the neighborhood of a third-round pick, but Chicago would also have to extend Cook, something general manager Ryan Poles should be able to scrounge up the funds to do.

Acquiring Cook might be an expensive proposition for Chicago, but it would be a worthwhile venture because having Cook and Swift would make Williams' life much easier.

James Cook OT — Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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