Buffalo Bills running back James Cook landed at No. 20 on NFL.com’s NFL Top 100 Players of 2026 list, a huge jump that reflects just how dominant his 2025 season was.
The ranking was voted on by the league’s players, and Cook climbed 69 spots from No. 89 a year ago. At 26, he put together the kind of year that forces everyone to take notice: 1,621 rushing yards to lead the NFL, plus 12 rushing touchdowns that gave Buffalo a steady finish on the ground.
NFL.com’s Gordon highlighted the season in blunt terms: ”In the aftermath of a contract kerfuffle, Cook showed he was worth every penny of his 2025 extension,” Gordon said. “A season after leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns, Cook won the league rushing crown, becoming just the second Buffalo back to do so.
Robin to Josh Allen's Batman, Cook averaged an NFL-best 95.4 yards per game as he roared to his third straight Pro Bowl selection. During the regular season, the Bills were 8-1 when Cook topped 100 yards, one of many indicators of just how important he is to Buffalo's success.”
Cook also added 291 receiving yards, leaving him 88 yards shy of 2,000 yards from scrimmage. That production, along with the explosiveness he showed all year, earned him plenty of respect from teammates and other players around the league.
As the reaction around the league made clear, Cook’s big-play ability was a major part of what made his 2025 season stand out. He separated himself as one of the best ball-carriers in football and one of the premier players in the game.
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