In the 2022 NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills used their second round pick, No. 63 overall, to select Georgia running back James Cook â the first time the Bills took a runner as high as Round Two since 2010 when they picked Clemson back C.J. Spiller in the first round.
Now, the Bills and general manager Brandon Beane face what one analyst calls the “most important contract decision” they will make in 2025, with Cook’s four-year, $5.8 million rookie deal coming to an end after this season.
Cook Lived Up To High Draft Pick Expectations
Clearly, with his high draft selection Buffalo had high expectations for Cook, the younger brother of Dallas Cowboys and former Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook.
Coming off a Bulldogs to national championship, the younger Cook brother was looked on as “a missing piece” that made the Bills offense “a lot more frightening a proposition for opposing defenses to contain,” according to an NFL.com scouting report.
Cook did not disappoint, though he did not get a start in his rookie year, serving as a backup to incumbent Devin Singletary.
Two Straight Pro Bowl Selections
But after Singletary departed as a free agent for the Houston Texans following that season, Cook got his chance to take over the No. 1 running back role and he delivered. His 1,122 yards on 237 carries earned him his first Pro Bowl berth.
In 2024, Cook kept up the pace, leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns (tied with two other running backs) with 16.
Coming into 2025, however, Cook has made it clear that he wants his contract in Buffalo extended, with a substantial raise. To make his point, Cook skipped the team’s voluntary OTA practices in April â though he did show up for mandatory minicamp the following month, and is present for Bills training camp currently underway.
Cook Reportedly Wants $15 Million Per Year
Nonetheless, Cook has indicated that he may be seeking a $15 million per year deal, according to a report earlier this year by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
If he gets it, the 25-year-old would jump from the 46th-highest paid running back in the NFL to the third-highest, behind only Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles at $20.6 million, and Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers at $19 million.
Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens earns an average of $15 million per year.
According to NFL analyst Moe Moton of Bleacher Report, whether to meet Cook’s contract demands will be the “most important contract decision” the Bills will make for 2025.
But they seem in no great hurry to act on it.
Analyst Sees Cook Gone in 2026
âI donât see us getting something done anytime soon,” Beane told reporters shortly before the 2025 draft, as quoted by Matthew Bové of WKBW TV. “Just because we donât get something done this year doesnât mean we canât get something done before heâs a free agent.â
“Cook is entering a contract year, so the Bills could open up the checkbook for him in the coming months if he’s on track for a third consecutive Pro Bowl campaign,” Moton wrote.
There appears to be pessimism in Buffalo as to whether the Bills will be able to keep Cook out of free agency. In fact, Sal Maiorana of the Democrat and Chronicle recently predicted that Cook would not be on the Bills roster after this season.
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