James Cook Clinches NFL Rushing Title as Bills Ease Star in Finale

With the No. 5 seed secured, Buffalo limited his snaps to protect health.

Overview

Cook finished with 1,621 rushing yards to win the 2025 title, the Bills’ first league rushing leader since O.J. Simpson in 1976.
Buffalo rested most starters in the finale; Cook logged two carries for 15 yards on the opening drive before exiting.
Derrick Henry needed 153 yards on Sunday night to overtake Cook but ended with 126, leaving him 26 yards short.
Jonathan Taylor closed at 1,585 yards after the Colts’ earlier kickoff, giving Cook a clear target before Buffalo’s game.
There was no contract bonus tied to the title for Cook, though his linemen publicly pushed for the milestone and Sean McDermott said the staff would do its best to accommodate it.