James Cook III had to clear the air after Monday night’s win in Minneapolis turned into an internet detective case.
The Buffalo Bills running back said Tuesday that he did not soil himself during the victory over the Minnesota Vikings, pushing back on the claims that spread online after a strange-looking stain appeared on the back of his pants during the game.
“[T]his is wild,” the 27-year-old Georgia product wrote on X. “I didn’t s*** on myself.”
The moment that set off the speculation came in the first quarter, when Cook took a pitch from Josh Allen and was brought down by Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson. ESPN’s slow-motion replay gave fans a long look at the stain, and the reaction online came fast.
“After reviewing the film,” one fan wrote on X, “he sh***s himself after the hit.”
Others piled on just as quickly. “Omg, he really did s*** himself??” another wrote.
There were also other explanations floated for what showed up on Cook’s uniform, including a Gatorade stain from the bench, a mix of dark rubber crumb pellets and silica sand from the artificial turf in Minneapolis, or even yellowish field paint.
“Is it Viking Horn field paint????????” one fan asked on X.
Cook finished the night with 107 yards and a touchdown against one of the league’s premier defenses, but the online chatter kept circling back to the same awkward question.
And once the speculation took off, DUDE Wipes jumped in too. The company, which makes pre-moistened personal hygiene wipes for men, posted its own response on X.
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