As the Buffalo Bills continued to give long-term extensions to some of their young core on each side of the ball, they knew they had a ticking timebomb.
James Cook, the organization's top running back and 1,000-yard rusher, made it clear since the conclusion of the 2025 playoffs that he wanted a new deal. The Georgia prospect is entering the final year of his deal and has publicly declared that a contract worth over $15 million annually is what he wants.
Buffalo's front office had two choices once Cook's demands became public: address the concern head on (whether through a trade or giving him a long-term extension), or ignore it and hope the runner would move past his frustrations.
General manager Brandon Beane chose the latter, and is now dealing with the consequences. Cook remains away from the team, and is "disconnected" from them per a report by ESPN Insider Adam Schefter.
“You’ve got a guy who’s unhappy with his contractual situation," Schefter said during his podcast. "(He) has basically disconnected himself from the organization and the city, put his house up for sale...I don’t think we’ll be seeing him in Buffalo anytime soon."
Cook has remained apart from the team since offseason workouts began. Because Buffalo refused to address the situation, they now are in a spot where they have a pissed off individual on their roster.
Those kinds of players can really hurt the chemistry of a team that is gunning for a Super Bowl.
It really doesn't matter what decision Buffalo ends up making with Cook. They shouldn't push off this confrontation into training camp, though. It will only make his absence an even bigger distraction.
At this point, the organization should either trade Cook to a team that wants to pay him $15 million, or at least get back to the negotiating table as soon as possible.
The longer they wait, the worse they make it for themselves.