Buffalo Bills running back, James Cook against the New York Jets, September 11, 2023.
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Buffalo Bills running back, James Cook against the New York Jets, September 11, 2023.
After weeks of speculation of whether he would return to the Buffalo Bills for mandatory minicamp, running back James Cook had a simple motivator for his decision to come back this week.
“I like my money,” Cook told reporters on Tuesday, the first day of the team’s minicamp.
Cook was in attendance, practicing alongside teammates including the recently wedded Josh Allen. The running back still faces an uncertain future as he heads into the final season of his rookie contract, but his appearance this week raised hopes that he will avoid a holdout.
James Cook Ready to Play
Cook had been surrounded by uncertainty for much of the offseason after he publicly pressed the team for a new contract and floated a figure of $15 million per season. That would put Cook among the top-paid running backs in the league, a price that Bills general manager Brandon Beane made clear the team was not willing to pay.
There had been speculation leading up to Cook’s return to Buffalo, with ESPN insider Adam Schefter reporting that he would likely skip minicamp and could hold out from training camp as well.
“You’ve got a guy who’s unhappy with his contractual situation… (He) has basically disconnected himself from the organization and the city,” the NFL insider said on The Adam Schefter Podcast. “Put his house up for sale… I don’t think we’ll be seeing him in Buffalo anytime soon. Again, the start of training camp will be the next critical moment.”
Cook put an end to that speculation on Tuesday, telling reporters that he’s going to fulfill all of his commitments to the team.
“I’m here to work hard, and however it takes care of itself it’s gonna take care of itself,” Cook said.
Bills Face High Cost on James Cook
Cook has become a major part of the team’s offensive attack, topping the 1,000-yard plateau in each of the last two seasons — the first Bills running back to achieve that feat since LeSean McCoy. He also led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024.
While Beane may have balked at the idea of paying Cook a $15 million per year salary, the team will likely need to make a big investment to keep him beyond the coming season. SI.com’s Randy Gurzi noted that Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry set a high bar with his two-year, $40 million contract extension.
While Cook won’t be able to match the All-Pro’s salary, Gurzi suggested that Henry may have helped raise the floor for all future running back contracts.
“Henry has a far superior resume than Cook, but he’s also 31 years of age. Given the fact that Cook is far younger, his camp will use Henry’s deal as the starting point, while angling for more,” Gurzi wrote.
“We can argue that Henry deserves more money, but that’s not how the market works in the NFL. When a star player resets the market, he does so for everyone. And Henry just reset it for Cook and every other star running back ready to get paid.”