Rushing champion James Cook's backup finishes as NFL leader, too

As Tyler Loop's missed kick closed the book on the NFL regular season, the congratulations began rolling in for Buffalo Bills' running back James Cook.

Rushing for 126 yards in the Sunday Night Football finale, Baltimore Ravens' running back Derrick Henry finished 26 yards shy of Cook's season total (1,621). The Week 18 result made Cook the Bills' first NFL rushing champion since 1976, and the RB1 wasn't the lone Buffalo player to secure a statistical title.

Bills' backup running back Ray Davis held his lead amongst NFL kickoff returners, finishing as the lone player to average more than 30.0 yards per runback.

MORE: Why Bills kept former All-Pro CB on field for every snap in blowout win over Jets

Establishing a single-season franchise record, Davis averaged 30.4 yards per return. He fielded 31 kicks, totaling 943 yards.

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) during the first half at Highmark Stadium. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Although Davis held the league lead going into the game, it was not an insurmountable margin, and his closest competition was actually on the opposite sideline in Week 18. New York Jets' returner Isaiah Williams ripped off a 49-yarder in the matchup against the Bills, but it wasn't enough to overtake Davis after the final gun went off on a 35-8 Buffalo win. Williams finished the season with a 29.9 yards per return average.

Pleasant mid-season surprise

Davis, a 2024 fourth-round draft pick, returned only seven kickoffs as a rookie, and he didn't receive an opportunity this season until November.

During the opening weeks of the 2025 season, the Bills deployed Brandon Codrington and third-down back Ty Johnson as primary kick returners. Moving away from using a gameday roster spot on the one-dimensional Codrington, Buffalo began mixing in wide receiver Curtis Samuel until he landed on Injured Reserve.

Finally, Davis took his turn on November 2 and ran with it. He returned four kicks for 105 total yards in the win over the Kansas City Chiefs and remained in the role for the remainder of the season.

RAY DAVIS TAKES IT ALL THE WAY BACK! 97-YARD KICK RETURN TD!

BUFvsHOU on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/TYbdqXsOkb
— NFL (@NFL) November 21, 2025

"I've embraced it. I've loved it. Obviously I thought things would be different, but it is what it is," said Davis in December. "And to be at the top of the NFL in yards per average, that's just showing all the hard work that I put in this offseason."

Optimal skillset for role

In the second year of the "dynamic" kickoff, teams are still trying to determine best way to attack the play. Early results suggest that running backs like Davis are best equipped for the job.

The same skills that make Davis a threat out of the offensive backfield seem to translate well when it comes to returning kicks under the new regulations.

MORE: Bills’ second-year weapon vying for Pro Bowl with league-best stat

“There's certain things that come with that particular play, because it is unique, that you have to possess. So, the vision, play strength, some of those areas are just as important as just playing the running back position," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott.

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