Bills RB James Cook Named NFL MVP Candidate

When you think of MVP candidates from the Buffalo Bills, you'd be forgiven if the only player you think about is Josh Allen. 

After all, he's already won the award once and remains one of the best players in the NFL. But what about someone other than Allen being a candidate?

NFL.com's Kevin Patra recently put out his list of non-QB MVP candidates, and has James Cook as the Bills option.

Patra believes that Cook will continue to be an important piece that helps pace the offense. He points to the fact that defenses will always focus on Allen, and that the addition of DJ Moore at receiver could pull more attention away from the NFL's leading rusher. 

"That should keep lanes open for Cook to Corvette his way through," Patra writes, while also mentioning the change at head coach.

"Joe Brady, unshackled from his predecessor at head coach, could lean more on the pass attack, but he shouldn’t get too far away from Cook. He could even utilize his top RB more in the passing attack in 2026."

Cook as a dark-horse MVP candidate shouldn't be too much of a surprise. The former second-round pick out of Georgia is coming off his best season, leading the NFL in rushing yards with 1,621 and in yards per game with 95.4. 

Since becoming the team's starting running back in 2023, Cook has averaged five yards per carry, 75 yards per game, and 10 touchdowns per season. He's even rushed for a first down on 63% of his carries. 

Cook now enters the first year of a four-year extension he signed prior to the start of 2025. If he continues to produce the way he has the last two seasons, his $46-million contract will quickly become one of the biggest bargains in the NFL.

As far as a possible MVP is concerned, that remains unlikely. The last non-QB to win the award was Adrian Peterson in 2012. In fact, over the last 20 years, only two non-QBs have won it: Peterson in 2012 and LaDanian Tomlinson in 2006.