A strong running game is a quarterback's best friend. This is especially true for the Buffalo Bills' star signal-caller, Josh Allen, as his and fourth-year running back James Cook's relationship is a one-of-a-kind collective benefit.
That made Cook's ongoing contractual saga with the front office even more disappointing this summer. In what is firmly a Super Bowl window for the Bills, fans couldn't tell if the young rusher was all-in or all-out in Buffalo.
Ultimately, the two sides reached an agreement on a four-year, $48 million extension, tying Cook to Buffalo potentially through 2030. This seemed like a hefty investment for a running back, but after four games of the 2025 NFL season, Cook has proven to the Bills that he is worth every penny.
Bills' James Cook wins September's AFC Offensive Player of the Month honor
Through the first four weeks of the season, Cook has run the ball 75 times for 401 yards and a league-leading five scores on the ground. He's scored in every game, run for over 100 yards three times, and has also caught 12 passes for 89 yards so far this year.
These numbers earned him an incredible honor for the first month of the season. On Thursday, the Bills' Public Relations Department announced that Cook had officially been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for the month of September.
James Cook has been named AFC Offensive Player of the Month.
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) October 2, 2025
Cook is the second Bills RB to ever earn the honor, joining Thurman Thomas (November of 1991). pic.twitter.com/egySdIbTfs
Attached to the announcement is a graphic that includes all of his records and feats he has achieved through the first four weeks, and of course, it is a lengthy list. Anytime a player is compared to legendary running backs like Thurman Thomas or O.J. Simpson on the field, it is good news.
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While Cook's numbers certainly tell a story, and watching him provides all the justification a fan could need for extending him, his gravity on the field is also important. Having a lethal running back threat to take the pressure off Allen is an invaluable benefit for Buffalo.
This is especially true considering Allen's dual-threat nature, as teams cannot cheat one way or the other. They must face the brunt of two great runners when picking who to key on, and recent years have proven that this is far easier said than done for opposing defenses.
If Cook can continue at this level of play for the rest of the 2025 campaign, not only will he collect more awards and help the Bills win, but those around the league will start realizing that Buffalo got a steal at $12 million per year.