NFL disrespects James Cook and makes a heartbreaking end of the season feel even worse for the Bills
James Cook deserves far more respect for what he did this past season.
Another day, another member of the Buffalo Bills disrespected on the national level. It doesn’t sting as badly as “the catch,” but it’s a painful reminder of just how underappreciated some of the best players in the league are. This time, it was none other than running back James Cook.
The NFL announced the AP Award Finalists for the 2025 season, with Cook getting no love for Offensive Player of the Year. Instead, it was New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
James Cook is wildly disrespected
Fortunately, Buffalo did receive some recognition in the MVP category, with quarterback Josh Allen being named a finalist after winning the award the previous year. The other finalists were Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, McCaffrey, and Maye. It seems as though it’ll come down to Maye and Stafford for the trophy.
Back to Cook, who had a monster year for Buffalo and was shattering records left and right. Cook led the league with nine 100-yard performances and wound up taking home the league’s rushing title. The last time that Buffalo had a rusher lead the league was in 1976 with O.J. Simpson. To add some more flair to his award, Cook won the title while playing at the last game inside Highmark Stadium.
Cook finished the season with 309 carries for 1,621 yards with 12 touchdowns while adding 33 receptions for 291 yards and two touchdowns. Letting James Cook go was one of the more exciting aspects of the season for Buffalo.
James Cook’s contract looks like a massive steal after 2025 performance
Heading into the season, Cook staged a hold-in while waiting for a new contract, wanting some big bucks for his efforts on the football field. Fans were skeptical, as Buffalo didn’t utilize Cook as a three-down back and thought that maybe the asking price was a bit too high.
The team and Cook reached an agreement before the season began on a four-year, $48 million contract that ties him to the team through 2029. The deal had $30 million in guarantees. Ahead of his contract, Cook was slated to make only $1.5 million in 2025, so in essence, it was a five-year, $49.5 million deal with $9.9 million on a yearly average in real money.
Now, it’s looking like that contract is an absolute steal as Cook is the seventh-highest-paid running back in terms of average salary according to Spotrac. There aren’t six better running backs in the league than Cook, and he may only get better from here.
James Cook balled out and deserved far more recognition at the national level
With such a monster season, Cook deserved more recognition for his efforts and his historic performance throughout. Much like the controversial “catch” in the postseason, this one stings but for a different reason. Buffalo remains a smaller market, and despite being one call away from the AFC Championship game, they still find themselves not getting the respect they deserve.
At some point, the league will have to decide whether production actually matters. Cook checked every box you could ask of a running back: Durability, explosiveness, efficiency, and historic output, yet still watched his name get left off the biggest stage.
Bills Mafia have seen this movie before, and it never gets easier. All Cook can do now is the same thing he’s always done: Keep stacking numbers, keep proving the doubters and critics wrong, and force respect through his electric jump cuts and uncanny ability to find the end zone. That, and the only way the franchise has ever made noise, is by making it impossible to ignore.
Buffalo Bills News
Bills’ Brandin Cooks could be in some hot water with the NFL with what he said about overtime controversy against the Broncos
It was for sure a catch.
