Next Bills' legend blooming in 2025

For years, the Buffalo Bills have been urged to surround superstar QB Josh Allen with more help, with Bills fans desperately looking for another offensive engine to take some pressure off the reigning MVP. It took some patience, but the Bills finally have just that with James Cook enjoying a breakout season in 2025.

It's ironic to declare a 'breakout season' for a two-time Pro Bowler with back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons, but Cook has transcended from an above-average RB to one of the best players at his position, and in the league.

Cook continued to climb the ranks of the franchise record books with his performance on Sunday, which included 17 carries, 116 yards, and one touchdown, along with three catches for 13 yards.

Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III (4) scores a touchdown as Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) defends during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Single-season stats

It's a good day anytime you can pass Hall-of-Famer Thurman Thomas's career high in a metric, which Cook did on Sunday. Up to 1,531 rushing yards on the season, Buffalo's RB1 now has the third most single season rushing yards in Bills history, trailing OJ Simpson's marks in 1973 (2003 yards) and 1975 (1817 yards), and passing Travis Henry's mark from 2002 and Thomas's career-best in 1992.

Sunday was Cook's ninth 100-yard rushing game, tying for the second-most in team history with Thomas, and trailing Simpson's 11 in 1973.

With two rushing scores against the Browns, Cook is up to 12 on the year, closing in on his league-leading (and franchise-leading) 16 from last season. In terms of franchise history, his 2025 season is now tied for the 8th-most rushing TDs in a single season. He'd jump another four spots if he can tally two more over the final two weeks, a likely outcome based on his pace this season.

Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III (4) carries the ball as Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) defends during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

All-time great?

Has Cook's historic 2025 performance solidified himself as a Bills legend at the RB position?

He's already sixth in rushing yards in franchise history, trailing Joe Cribbs by 276 yards and Allen by 525. He'd need to reproduce his success in 2026 to surpass Fred Jackson, before sitting behind only Thomas and Simpson.

For touchdowns, Cook just surpassed Jackson and Cookie Gilchrist after his outing in Cleveland. At 32 career rushing scores, he now trails only Simpson (57), Thomas (65) and Allen (77 and counting).

With Cook's current career trajectory, and extension keeping him in Buffalo until at least 2029, it seems likely that he's close in on the Hall of Fame backs in yards and touchdowns by the end of his contract, cementing himself as one of the best running backs in Bills history.

All -Pro Cook

At this point in the 2025 season, any RB ranking that doesn't include Cook in the top five with the likes of Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Bijan Robinson should be considered invalid. It will be against these same backs that Cook will compete against to earn the first All-Pro selection of his career.

With Cook currently leading the league in rushing yards (prior to Taylor's Monday Night Football game), and sitting third in rushing touchdowns (behind Gibbs, Josh Jacobs, and Taylor), the resume is there for 'The Chef' to make first or second team All Pro at the end of the year, further cementing his season as one of the greatest in Bills history.

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