James Cook has done what no Buffalo Bills running back has done in 50 years.
The Bills running back won the rushing title after a nail-biting final game, with Baltimore Ravens back Derrick Henry coming close to stealing it away.
The Bills took to social media to announce the big honor for Cook, who becomes the first Bills running back since O.J. Simpson to lead the league in rushing. Simpson led the league in 1976 and no other Bills running back — including Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas — won the rushing title until Cook this year.
The Bills secured their spot in the playoffs with a 35-8 win over the New York Jets, and then Cook secured his place in team history a few hours later.
James Cook Holds on For Title
Cook finished the season with 1,621 rushing yards, which was 499 yards more than his previous career high set in 2023.
Cook appeared to be in strong shape for the rushing title through the first two rounds of games on Sunday. Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor trailed Cook by 47 yards, but fell short in his team’s loss to the Houston Texans in the 1 p.m. window.
That left only Henry, who trailed Cook by 137 yards going into his team’s Sunday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Henry nearly reached that mark by halftime, gouging the Steelers defense for 112 yards, but he had only 14 more yards in the second half to finish with 126.
Cook had a chance to add to his lead on Sunday, but the Bills decided to rest most of their starters and only kept him in for the first drive. Cook had two carries for 15 yards before leaving, allowing backup Ray Davis to rush for 151 yards.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said he initially planned to play Cook for close to a quarter, but ended up taking him out after one drive.
“As I got closer and closer to the game, I’m like, ‘Ah, a quarter’s too much,’” McDermott told reporters after the game. “So I’m probably not a great gambler in the casinos, but it helped when we knew what Jonathan Taylor [did], and the afternoon he had. But we also wanted to know where, in terms of tonight’s game, where that could go.”
James Cook Proved Bills Right for Big Contract Extension
The Bills had rewarded Cook just before this season with a four-year contract extension worth $48 million, which drew some contention at the time as critics questioned whether it was wise to make such a big investment in a running back.
Cook proved it to be a steal, anchoring the offense all season and taking pressure off quarterback Josh Allen and the passing game. As the salary cap analysis outlet Sportrac noted in December, Cook is producing at the level of a much more expensive running back.
“The #Bills securing RB James Cook on what is essentially a 3 year, $30M contract through 2027 is easily one of the best-value signings from this past offseason,” the outlet noted in a post on X. “The 26-year-old is producing at a $14.5M rate through 2025.”
There is still more work for Cook and the Bills, who secured the No. 6 seed with Sunday’s win and will travel to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars next week.
Bills Make Historic James Cook Announcement After Season Finale