The Buffalo Bills are two days away from their first preseason game of the year, and the team has drama. Last week, running back James Cook decided he was going to stop practicing after participating in the first week of camp.
The 25-year-old running back is looking for a new contract since his current one runs out after the season. All offseason, the Bills had to deal with Cook’s contract talks, but the two parties could never agree on anything.
Cook showed up to training camp like everyone else and had no issues practicing. But things changed when Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin and Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons requested trades last week.
James Cook Was Supposed to Practice on Thursday
Both players are looking for new contracts and are holding out of camp. After all the news broke, Cook decided to sit out of practice on Sunday. The two-time Pro Bowler also sat out on Monday and Wednesday. Right before Thursday’s practice, Bills head coach Sean McDermott told reporters Cook would return to practice on Thursday. However, the star running back was nowhere to be found.
Bills practice is about to begin and there’s still no sign of James Cook.
Sean McDermott said he expected him to be out there. He’s been “holding-in” since Sunday. pic.twitter.com/hA28dg0YFH
— Mike Bundt (@Mike_Bundt) August 7, 2025
Buffalo now has an issue on their hands. With four weeks before the first regular season game, Buffalo might start to panic. It’s never good for a star player to hold out into the middle of August, and that’s where Cook is at.
The Bills are in a difficult place because Cook wants to be paid like the top running backs. But he’s not valuable like the other backs in the NFL. Quarterback Josh Allen runs the offense, and he does a lot with his legs. Even though Cook is a great runner of the ball, it doesn’t mean the Bills have the money to pay him.
Buffalo also knows it needs Cook to win a Super Bowl, and extending him could make other players on the team happy. One of those players could be last year’s NFL Most Valuable Player of the Year.
Josh Allen Shares Thoughts On James Cook
Allen spoke to the media about Cook not practicing and shared some thoughts.
“James is one of the best running backs in the league and we desperately want him out there with us,” via Alex Bratsky of Bills Digest. “Hopefully something can get done. . . . It’s generational wealth. . . . It’s making sure he’s healthy. . . . He knows what he’s doing.”
Allen has Cook’s full support, which is an excellent thing for the team. The last thing the Bills need is for Cook’s contract dispute to ruin the locker room culture, which could affect play on the field.
Usually, camp holdouts come to an end before the start of the regular season, so Buffalo will have time to figure things out.
Fans shouldn’t panic about Cook’s status until the week of the first game and he’s still not on the field.
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