Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills and running back James Cook have agreed on a massive four-year extension, per multiple reports. The deal is for $12 million annually for a total of $48 million including $30 million guaranteed. As always, I would encourage you to wait from the full details to come out before you react. Cook turns 26 in September, so this deal will carry him through age 30.
Cook had been involved in a back and forth negotiation with the team since at least March of 2025, when he began publicly commenting for an extension and asking to be paid $15 million per season. The Bills had extended a bunch of their young stars and Cook stood out among the group. Most of them took contracts below market value, and Cook insisted his value was higher than what Buffalo was willing to pay.
He reported to mandatory minicamp and training camp, but staged a hold in over the last couple weeks where he was present at training camp but not participating. He returned to practice on August 12th but offered a “not today” when asked to speak with reporters. Bills general manager Brandon Beane noted it was the first prolonged contract dispute in his time with the team.
One big area of contention is Cook only played 48% of the team’s snaps in 2024, where he was often pulled on third downs and in the two-minute offense.
Cook broke the Bills’ single-season touchdown record in 2024 as part of an explosive offense, breaking out after just two touchdowns in each of his first two years. In three seasons in Buffalo, he has two 1000-yard campaigns under his belt. All told, he has 533 rushes for 2638 yards and 20 TDs on the ground as well as 97 receptions for 883 yards and seven receiving touchdowns.
The $48 million contract is tied for the largest in the NFL alongside Josh Jacobs of the Packers. The $12 million average ranks tied for sixth behind deals for Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, and Alvin Kamara.
The Bills shed salary in the 2024 offseason so they could re-sign their young core and they have done that, inking new deals with Cook alongside WR Khalil Shakir, DE Greg Rousseau, LB Terrel Bernard, CB Christian Benford, and the newly signed WR Josh Palmer, not to mention a new deal for MVP Josh Allen.
