Could the Bills Starting RB Win the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year Award?
The NFL is undoubtedly a quarterback’s league. Just look at the top contracts: the top 11 highest-paid players in the league are at the quarterback position until Micah Parsons finally put a dent in the gap by signing a four-year, $188 million deal in August. Then, you have to go down another seven spots and $6.25 million less per year until you find Ja’Marr Chase, the highest-paid offensive player who’s not a QB. However, the plus side of this QB-centric league is the fact that the Most Valuable Player Award is essentially the “QB on the Best Team… Award,” which relegates the Offensive Player of the Year Award to the “Best Offensive Player Who Doesn’t Pass the Ball… Award.” With that in mind, James Cook has been putting up one heck of a season. So, let’s lay out the cases for and against him to get the OPOY Award.
A Case for Cook: Career Year in Buffalo
Numbers don’t lie, and if you look at the rushing numbers, you’ll see Cook right around the top of the league. The former Georgia Bulldog ranks second in rushing yards and rushing first downs—behind Jonathan Taylor and Kyren Williams, respectively—and leads the league with five rushing touchdowns. While he’s not running away with the lead in rushing, it’s hard to argue that Cook isn’t the reason that the Bills are 4-0. With over 100 scrimmage yards in every single game, he’s been a catalyst for this offense. If Cook keeps going at his current rate, then he would accumulate 1,705 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, and 2,083 yards from scrimmage, which would put him in a great position to become the OPOY.
A Case for Cook: Offseason Drama Withered Away
One of the biggest stories of the offseason was the contract extension that Cook was asking for. It never quite got to the point that Jerry Jones got with Parsons, but it was still a big question mark for a phenomenal offense. After signing his new deal, some Bills fans scoffed at the decision since Cook had never proved himself as a lead back, going down from 55% of offensive snaps played in 2023 to 48% in 2024. The Bills’ brass and coaching staff placed a bet on their running back, and it’s paid off so far with the 26-year-old tailback playing 60% of snaps while Ty Johnson and Ray Davis are getting their reps in on special teams.
A Case Against Cook: Number 17
It’s hard to ignore the guy handing the ball to Cook. Josh Allen is still the reigning MVP, even if the rushing attack is superior through four weeks. According to FanDuel, Allen currently has the best odds to win MVP again at -105 odds. If Allen goes back-to-back, then it would be hard to justify giving Cook the OPOY, too, since that would go against the “MV” part of the MVP Award. Nonetheless, it’s a win-win for the Bills to have two offensive players in discussions for yearly awards.
A Case Against Cook: Puka Nacua
The elephant in the room for this argument is Puka Nacua, who’s been causing nightmares for defensive coordinators through the first month of the season. While Cook has a good argument against Taylor, Williams, Bijan Robinson, and Christian McCaffrey, he doesn’t have much of an argument against Nacua. Matthew Stafford’s favorite target averages more than 10 receptions and 117 receiving yards per game, far eclipsing all other wide receivers thus far. If Cook can find a way to bridge the gap and secure the OPOY accolade, then it would be the first time in more than 20 years that the OPOY has gone to a running back for three consecutive seasons.
