James Cook's Breakout Season Fuels Bills' Rushing Touchdown Dominance

As of August 5th, 2025, the Buffalo Bills were a scoring machine in the 2024 NFL season, leading the AFC with 525 total points. Their offensive success was fueled by a balanced attack, with 30 passing touchdowns and a league-high 32 rushing scores.

A significant portion of those rushing touchdowns, 16 to be exact, came from running back James Cook. The 25-year-old shared the NFL lead in that category with Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs, a remarkable breakout after scoring just four times on the ground in his first two seasons.

Cook's touchdown prowess continued into the playoffs, where he found the end zone three times in three games for the Bills, including a pair against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. His postseason performance trailed only Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts.

However, Cook's contract situation has become a point of contention. The two-time Pro Bowler, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, has been present at Buffalo's training camp but has not participated, seeking a contract extension. Despite his recent success, SportsLine expert Alex Selesnick has made Cook's under 9.5 rushing touchdowns as his top running back prop pick for the 2025 season, citing the potential for Josh Allen and Ray Davis to vulture some of those scores.

Regardless of the contract dispute, James Cook's breakout 2024 campaign has solidified his status as a key piece of the Bills' offensive juggernaut, and his future performance will be closely watched as the team aims to build on their recent success.