Buffalo Bills RB James Cook OUT at Practice Due to Illness

Buffalo Bills RB James Cook OUT at Practice Due to Illness

Fresh off of winning AFC Offensive Player of the Week, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is sitting out of Wednesday's practice due to an undisclosed illness, the team revealed on its injury report.

Cook is one of three Bills out on Wednesday, as linebacker Von Miller (veteran rest) and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (wrist) also sat out.

What does this mean for Cook's status moving forward?

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For starters, the Bills (8-6) are on a short week, as they will have to travel across the country to visit the Los Angeles Chargers (5-9) at SoFi Stadium on Saturday. Buffalo is currently a 12-point favorite, but having Cook fully healthy will be crucial in a must-win game for the Bills.

James Cook Wins AFC Offensive Player of Week

However, it's only Wednesday and there's no reason to think Cook won't shake off his illness and be ready to play on Saturday,

Cook gashed the Dallas Cowboys in a 31-10 win on Sunday in what was by far the best game of his young two-year NFL career. He rushed 25 times for 179 yards and a touchdown while adding two catches for 42 yards and another score.

"I work my tail off in practice," Cook said after the game. "The confidence level is going to come in practice. Once you practice hard and do the things right, it's a confidence boost and it's going to show on Sundays."

With 968 rushing yards headed into Week 16, Cook is now well on his way to becoming the first Bills player to have 1,000 rushing yards in a season since LeSean McCoy did it in 2017 with 1,138 yards.

Saturday's kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.