One surprise as pair of Buffalo Bills players named All-Pros

A couple of Bills' RBs were honored by the Associated Press.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III breaks free of the pack on the first play of the first quarter against the Jets at home in Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 4, 2026. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Associated Press released its annual All-Pro teams on Saturday morning, with two Buffalo Bills players making the list as either a first or second-team selection.

But there was one minor surprise in the placement of a certain Bills’ running back.

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Dec 28, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III (4) runs the ball against Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (27) during the first quarter at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

League leader

After leading the league in rushing, James Cook received second-team honors at the running back position, while Ray Davis, the NFL’s top kick returner, was a first-team selection.

Some may find it interesting that Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson finished as the AP’s first-team selection after Cook outlasted Robinson and others for the NFL rushing title with 1,621 yards and 14 total touchdowns on the year. In doing so, Cook became the first Bills' RB to win the rushing title since 1976.

However, while at face value it appears out of the ordinary that the top rusher in the NFL would not be selected to the AP’s first-team, the voters likely took the big picture into account when considering each player’s candidacy.

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Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) runs the ball against the New Orleans Saints in the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Robinson recorded 1,478 yards rushing along with 820 yards receiving, a total of 2,298 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns. The Falcons’ RB accounted for 40.5% of his team’s total yardage on the year.

Cook added just 291 yards receiving to his yardage totals, giving him 1,912 total yards from scrimmage for the 2025 campaign. That was 29.8% of the Bills’ total yardage for the season.

So, while the Bills’ RB’s season was historic and earned him his first All-Pro nod of his career, Robinson’s production turned out to be a touch more valuable to the voters, which is likely what earned him a leg up in the race for a spot on the first-team. Cook is the first Bills' RB since Thurman Thomas to be named an All-Pro.

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Jan 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis (22) carries the ball defended by New York Jets safety Keidron Smith (46) and linebacker Jamien Sherwood (44) during the second half at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Special player

As far as Davis’ season was concerned, his 30.4 yards per kick return led all qualified players. Davis’ big season included a 97-yard kick return for a touchdown against the Houston Texans in Week 12.

It was also Davis’ first career All-Pro selection as he became the first-ever Bills' kick returner to be named an All-Pro.

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