Buffalo Bills, James Cook
Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Buffalo Bills have been busy this offseason, signing some of their best players to lucrative contract extensions. Unfortunately, not all of the best players on the Bills roster are being prioritized and that appears to be the case for running back James Cook.
Cook, the 63rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has been outstanding since entering the league. He’s averaged a stellar 4.9 yards-per-carry average over his last three seasons and is coming off a career-best campaign in 2024 with Buffalo.
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James Cook stats (ESPN): 1,009 rushing yards, 4.9 yards per carry, 16 rushing touchdowns, 1 fumble on 207 carries, 32 receptions for 258 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns, 8.1 yards per reception
The 25-year-old running back is entering the final year of his deal, set to make $5.271 million this season. At his current salary, he ranks 13th among the highest-paid NFL running backs in total cash owed. It’s a fraction of what the two-time Pro Bowl selection wants to make.
In February, NFL rumors surfaced that Cook wants a multi-year extension worth $15 million per season. That $15 million average annual value would rank third in his position in 2025. Not only is Buffalo unwilling to meet that price, but general manager Brandon Beane seems uninterested in any extension right now.
“His reps put it out there that we did talk, I’m not reporting anything new. It didn’t turn into anything as far as (agreeing to) a deal). We’re on to the draft. I don’t see us doing a deal anytime soon.”
Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane on a potential James Cook contract extension (H/T Alex Brasky)
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While Cook might still be holding out hope of landing a long-term deal before his age-26 season, his third as a starter, there are reasons to believe that’s highly unlikely to happen.
Why the Buffalo Bills are unlikely to extend James Cook
Buffalo Bills, James Cook
Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Since taking over as the Bills general manager in 2017, Beane has seemed to view his starting running backs as being replaceable. Cook replaced Devin Singletary, who led the team in rushing yards (819) and averaged 4.6 yards per carry in 2022.
James Cook contract (Spotrac): $5.271 million base salary, $355,374 signing bonus in 2025 with a $5.701 million cap hit. NFL free agent in 2026
Singletary led the Bills in rushing from 2019-’22, averaging at least 4.4 yards per carry each year. Beane drafted Singeltary in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, bringing him in to replace LeSean McCoy.
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While Cook will be a central piece of the Bills’ offense in 2025, his long-term replacement might already be on the roster. Beane used a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Ray Davis, who rushed for 442 yards in his rookie season. If Davis’s yards-per-carry average (3.9) improves, Buffalo will likely let Cook walk in NFL free agency next offseason and add a complementary back in the 2026 NFL Draft to pair with Davis.
If that happens, Cook would be entering a free-agent class of running backs that includes Derrick Henry, Travis Etienne, Jaylen Warren, Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker. That pool of talent, paired with the high-end running backs coming into the league from a deep 2025 draft class, could significantly impact his earning potential.
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