ORCHARD PARK – In a move that seemed somewhat unlikely only a month ago, the Buffalo Bills have re-signed running back James Cook to a big-money contract extension.
Several reports indicate the deal is for four years and a potential $48 million, with a whopping $30 million guaranteed which is a crazy high figure for a running back.
Cook, is not exactly the most talkative player on the team, did sit down in front of reporters after practice wearing a big smile for most of the session.
Regarding his mindset during his hold in, and the negotiations that took place, Cook said, “I was really just chilling, I wasn’t really thinking about it. Just being me. We got it done, so let’s go play football.”
Among current contracts, Cook’s $30 million guaranteed at signing is third-highest for the position according to sports contract website Spotrac, behind Saquon Barkley of the Eagles ($36 million) and Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty ($35.8 million).
Cook becomes the fourth member of the Bills’ 2022 draft class to get a contract extension, following Khalil Shakir, Christian Benford and Terrel Bernard.
“This is the new young core that we’re putting our money into,” general manager Brandon Beane said when he met with reporters Wednesday morning. “I feel very confident in every single person that we’ve paid. These are guys who are all players that we extended this offseason that I feel are still ascending talents in the league. We want to draft, develop and re-sign. This is another draft pick we’re proud of and we’re excited to get extended. He’s got a skillset we want to maintain in this offense. There was never a case of not wanting to extend him.”
Cook tied a Bills team record in 2024 for rushing touchdowns with 16, scored 18 overall, and 20 counting the postseason, and he also has rushed for more than 1,000 yards two seasons in a row. However, the knock on Cook – which isn’t all his fault – is that he is not a high-snap player.
Last season he played only 48% of the Bills’ offensive snaps, way below Barkley who was on the field nearly 80% of the time for the Eagles. This is why a contract extension, especially at this cost, seemed unlikely for Cook.
What Bills GM says about James Cook
“We think he can take more, but we do want to use our other weapons,” Beane said. “Like anything, it’s that fine balance. Some of it is not him wanting out, it’s us throwing as many different pieces and looks for the defense while also keeping him fresh.
“He’s an explosive talent and if you overuse them and they get wear and tear, they’re not the same player. We do think he can be a three-down player. We’re excited with where he’s at. I don’t think he’s been overtaxed or ‘Man, his tread on his tires is getting worn’ by any means.”
When the Bills returned to practice Tuesday, coach Sean McDermott spoke to reporters and announced that Cook was going to be on the field, essentially ending his hold in which had stretched for four practices plus the preseason opener against the Giants.
And there was Cook, going through the session and getting his share of the reps in the 11-on-11 work. When he left the field he declined comment, but McDermott had indicated that there had definitely been movement toward a resolution.
“Once we got him back on the practice field, we really worked hard (Tuesday),” Beane said. “I think it was roughly 11 o’clock or so last night where we were able to say both sides were good with this.”
Impact of James Cook contract on Bills salary cap
Of course, how the Bills are going to fit Cook’s new deal into the salary cap will be an interesting math equation. According to Spotrac, before this deal was finalized, the Bills were the only team in the league with no cap space. He was scheduled to count around $5.7 million on the cap this year, so it’s possible that the 2025 hit could be lessened to make it work.
But as is the case with several of the deals Beane has negotiated, money is getting pushed into the future and that can be a dangerous game.
Only the top 51 contracts count against the cap during the offseason and training camp, but once the Bills have to account for their full 53-man roster after the final cutdown later this month, Beane admitted he’s going to have “to do something.”
That could mean more contract restructures, or just releasing players who have higher cap numbers.
The drama surrounding Cook dates back to a couple weeks after the Bills’ 32-29 AFC Championship Game loss to the Chiefs when he publicly said, via his Instagram account, that he wanted a contract extension that would pay him $15 million per year.
That figure was absurd, but at the very least, it was his first volley in the negotiation that his agents clearly wanted to get started. Beane did not appreciate Cook using social media to express his desire to get paid, and throughout the winter and then the spring, Beane finalized deals with Shakir, Benford and Bernard, plus Greg Rousseau and Josh Allen.
As the cap total continued to rise, it seemed like the Bills were not going to be able to get a deal done with Cook, but that tracks with how most NFL teams have devalued the running back position. Not many are devoting major cap space to backs, but Cook remained steadfast in his belief that he deserved to be an exception.
He skipped all of the offseason program except the mandatory minicamp, saying the only reason he showed up was because he likes his money and didn’t want to pay the fines the Bills could have levied.
He reported for training camp at St. John Fisher University and practiced most of the first week, but after the practice at Highmark Stadium on Aug. 1, Cook began his hold in when the team returned to Pittsford two days later and he had not practiced since then until Tuesday.
He reported for training camp at St. John Fisher University and practiced most of the first week, but after the practice at Highmark Stadium on Aug. 1, Cook began his hold in when the team returned to Pittsford two days later and he had not practiced since then until Tuesday.
Cook said he was willing to continue with his hold in “for however long it took” but now that it’s over, he has one thought in mind: “Hopefully bring a Super Bowl here. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades including 35 years as the full-time beat writer for the D&C, he has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: James Cook signs contract extension with Bills: What we know
Reporting by Sal Maiorana, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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