Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has been angling for a new contract extension, but the front office appears to have little motivation to meet his publicly stated goal of making $15 million per season.
That leaves Cook in a precarious position as he enters 2025, the final season of his rookie contract. One insider believes that Cook will continue to occupy his spot at the top of the depth chart, all with an end date in sight as the team sticks to their stance and offers no negotiations on a new contract.
‘Motivated’ James Cook to Lead Bills Backfield in 2025
Reporter Sal Maiorana of the Democrat & Chronicle offered an early prediction of the team’s final 53-man roster, noting that Cook will return as the featured running back after his career-best season in 2024.
Maiorana predicted that this will definitely be Cook’s final season in Buffalo, but he could go out with a bang as he looks to earn his next contract.
“Obviously Cook – who has been tremendous the last two seasons – will be super motivated to have another big year because the likelihood is that the Bills will not give him a contract extension and heâll hit free agency in March,” Maiorana wrote. “Heâs not happy about his financial situation after seeing several teammates get new deals, and he needs to use that as fuel to establish his market.”
Cook is coming off a season where he rushed for 1,009 yards and a league-leading 16 rushing touchdowns, earning his second straight Pro Bowl nod and becoming the first Bills running back to top 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons since LeSean McCoy.
Lingering Hope for New Contract
While Maiorana offered a bleak prediction of Cook’s contract situation, other insiders believe there could be a small opening for the team to reach a new deal. While general manager Brandon Beane publicly shot down the idea of a new deal after Cook had floated the $15 million per year figure on social media, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes the sides could find a lower number.
Speaking in late June, Fowler said the team could leave the door open through the summer to find a more acceptable number for Cook’s new contract.
âI still think the door is open,â Fowler said on One Bills Live. âThatâs one I havenât checked on today, necessarily, but last I checked, there wasnât a lot of progress, but there was still like some optimism in the big picture that maybe they could figure something out, and they have four or five weeks to do it, whatever it is, before training camp, and then you still have camp. That doesnât have to be a deadline.â
Cook does not have history on his side, however. The Bills have not offered contract extensions for any of their drafted running backs during Beane’s tenure, keeping their investment in the backfield low compared to acquisitions in the wide receiver room. If Cook should leave, the Bills could turn to second-year running back Ray Davis to take on a bigger role.
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