Aug 26, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Buffalo Bills center Mitch Morse (60), safety Damar Hamlin (3), and offensive tackle Alec Anderson (70) lead the Bills out of the tunnel before a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

UCLA's Alec Anderson Is Helping Fellow Bills Get Paid

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Brock Vierra | Last updated May 20, 2025 1:07 PM ET

The Buffalo Bills in 2024 were a machine that dominated the line of scrimmage. The Bills evolved offensively after the departures of receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, going with a more run-dominant offense that used a variety of multiple tight end formations.

Some of those formations required UCLA's Alec Anderson to be on the field, being used as a blocker to establish different but effective points of attack. His work helped quarterback Josh Allen earn NFL MVP honors and a six-year, $330 million extension.

In the same breath, Anderson helped running back James Cook achieve his second straight 1,000-yard season and quadrupled his career amount of rushing touchdowns in 2024, scoring 16 touchdowns on the ground while adding two in the air on Buffalo's way to winning a fifth straight AFC East title.

As a result, Cook is looking for a big-time extension as well, entering a contract year. Thus, Pro Football Focus' Ryan Smith has named him as one of the players under the most pressure to perform.

"Cook is coming off a strong year in Buffalo, earning an 86.2 PFF overall grade and tying for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns," Smith wrote. "He set career highs in yards after contact per attempt (3.24) and forced missed tackles (47) while taking care of the ball, fumbling just once across 260 attempts."

"The Pro Bowler has made it clear that he wants a new contract in the range of $15 million per year, which would make him among the highest-paid running backs in the league. The former Georgia Bulldog has been a productive and durable player over the past three years, but he hasn’t been utilized as an every-down player, making contract negotiations dicey.

"Cook's 207 carries in 2024 ranked 19th, while Bills backups Ty Johnson (400 snaps) and Ray Davis (286 snaps) earned significant playing time, as well.

"Cook could hold out of training camp if a deal doesn’t get done, something the Super Bowl-contending Bills would like to avoid. If he is forced to play out the final year of his contract, he will be the lead back on one of the best offenses in the NFL, but the pressure will be on to produce at the level we saw in 2024 if he wants to earn top money at the position on his next deal."

While Cook may get his deal, what about Anderson? Anderson is also in a contract year, and if the Bills continue to shell out money, will he be the odd man out? Something to keep an eye on.