James Cook III opens up about Bills' Super Bowl goal, award-winning 2025 season

During a Tuesday appearance on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" program, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III acknowledged that there was "a new energy in the building" with first-year head coach Joe Brady running the team's springtime workouts. 

Cook also made it clear that he and his teammates are focused on removing the Bills from lists of franchises that have never earned a Super Bowl victory. 

James Cook III: Winning a Super Bowl "is gonna be big for" Bills, Buffalo

"It's on us. It's on us," Cook explained, per Bobby Kownack of the NFL's website. "We control our own destiny, I feel like. We always get close every year and just never get over the hump. So, I just feel like, just getting over that hump and just doing something special in Buffalo by winning a Super Bowl is gonna be big for us."

Former head coach Sean McDermott and the Bills acquired Cook during the 2022 NFL Draft. From the opening night of the 2018 draft through January 2026, the combination of McDermott and one-time MVP quarterback Josh Allen failed to guide the Bills to a single Super Bowl appearance. Shortly after Allen committed four turnovers in Buffalo's divisional-round loss to the Denver Broncos this past January, the Bills parted ways with McDermott. 

As for Brady, he first became Buffalo's offensive coordinator on an interim basis during the 2023 season. He then held the full-time job until he was promoted to his current gig earlier this year. 

James Cook III putting previous achievement behind him

Meanwhile, Cook earned the first rushing title of his career when he finished the 2025 regular season with 1,621 rushing yards. He seemingly no longer wants to discuss what he and his teammates did and didn't accomplish during the fourth campaign of his pro career.

"I won the rushing title, but this year [is] a new year, so that don't matter no more," Cook added. "I hear it all the time. 'You won the league rushing title, you won it, you won it.' I tell everybody it's over now, so let's just flip the page and let's try to go do it again. Just get your mind right, just do it again, that's all."