Is James Cook related to Dalvin Cook? The connection between Bills, Cowboys running backs

The Baltimore Ravens (1-2) and B uffalo Bills (3-0) are set for a " Sunday Night Football " showdown in Week 4 . This is the first meeting between the two teams since Week 4 of the 2022 season and both are coming off division title wins last season.

Buffalo's offense leads the NFL in scoring through three weeks. Quarterback Josh Allen has been a key player with nine total touchdowns and a league-best 133.7 quarterback rating. Another key factor in the Bills ' success on offense is running back James Cook , who's scored a career-high three rushing touchdowns already in three weeks.

He's following in the footsteps of his NFL sibling in becoming one of the top running backs in the NFL. Here's what to know about James and Dalvin Cook .

Is James Cook related to Dalvin Cook?

Yes, James and Dalvin Cook are brothers. The two were both star running backs in Miami-area high school football. Dalvin was named Mr. Florida Football as a senior in 2013. He was the No. 12-ranked player in his class and committed to Florida State .

Dalvin still holds numerous records for the Seminoles , including single-season rushing yards (1,765), career rushing touchdowns (46), and career all-purpose yards (5,339). The Minnesota Vikings selected him in the second round, 41st overall in the 2017 NFL Draft and he went on to make four Pro Bowls for the Vikings. He played for the New York Jets and Ravens in 2023 before signing with the Dallas Cowboys this season.

James initially committed to Florida State as well before de-committing and signing with Georgia. He was the No. 96-ranked player in his class and spent his first two seasons in Athens behind D'Andre Swift and Zamir White on the depth chart. He had a larger role in 2020 and 2021 but was still behind White in total touches.

Buffalo selected him in the second round, 63rd overall of the 2022 NFL draft. Last season he made the Pro Bowl for the first time at 24, the same age as Dalvin's first Pro Bowl nod.

The Cook brothers have played each other twice: Week 10 of the 2022 NFL season when Dalvin's Vikings beat James' Bills and Week 11 last season when the Bills beat Dalvin and the Jets .

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James Cook 2024 stats

James is on pace for a career-high in total yards per game and touchdowns this season. Through three games, he has:

• 41 carries for 188 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
• Eight catches for 97 receiving yards and one touchdown.

He's improved significantly in the receiving game in 2024 with career-highs in yards per game (32.3), catch percentage (88.9%), and yards per reception (12.1).

2024 NFL season brothers

It's not unusual for siblings to be playing in the NFL at the same time. Here are other siblings who are active players in 2024:

• Nick Bosa ( San Francisco 49ers ) and Joey Bosa ( Los Angeles Chargers )
• Trevon Diggs (Dallas Cowboys) and Stefon Diggs ( Houston Texans )
• Tremaine Edmunds ( Chicago Bears ) and Terrell Edmunds ( Jacksonville Jaguars )
• Liam Eichenberg ( Miami Dolphins ) and Tommy Eichenberg ( Las Vegas Raiders )
• Jonah Elliss ( Denver Broncos ), Christian Elliss ( New England Patriots ), and Kaden Elliss ( Atlanta Falcons )
• Cameron Heyward and Connor Heyward (both Pittsburgh Steelers )
• Luke McCaffrey ( Washington Commanders ) and Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers)
• Bo Melton ( Green Bay Packers ) and Max Melton ( Arizona Cardinals )

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Is James Cook related to Dalvin Cook? The connection between Bills, Cowboys running backs