The Buffalo Bills have had a busy offseason. After restructuring contracts left and right, including quarterback Josh Allen’s, the team is preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft; however, they still have one box unchecked on their to-do list: James Cook’s contract.
The team’s front office didn’t want to leave anything to chance in their hunt for a championship ring. Following team owner John Pegula’s instructions, general manager Brandon Beane focused on securing the return of as many veterans as possible.
Beane delivered big by restructuring the contracts of Allen, Christian Benford, Terrell Bernard, Greg Rousseau, and Khalil Shakir, among others. However, in this frenzy of negotiations, talks with Cook haven’t moved forward, and the star running back isn’t very happy about it.
What’s happening with James Cook’s contract?
Cook, selected by Buffalo in the second round of the 2022 Draft, is entering the final year of his rookie contract. The Georgia product originally signed a four-year, $5.8 million deal. Cook has more than made up for his salary, contributing 2,638 yards on 533 carries and 20 touchdowns over those three years.
These numbers seem to guarantee Cook a lucrative contract extension, but with the clock ticking, negotiations don’t seem to be moving forward. Insiders claim that one reason talks are stalled is that the running back is asking for an average salary of $15 million per season.
The problem? After all the negotiations they’ve completed in recent weeks, the team has run out of salary-cap space. According to the specialized website Over The Cap, the Bills only have $5.2 million available for 2025, a far cry from what Cook seeks.
When will Cook’s turn come?
Although players don’t like to play out the final year of their contracts without an extension to protect them in case of injury, it’s very likely that Cook will have to wait until 2026 to sit down at the negotiating table with Brandon Beane and his team.
Knowing that the running back would become a hot commodity if he hits free agency, it’s highly unlikely that the Bills would want to embark on a bidding war for homegrown talent. So, fans can rest assured. Negotiations may be a bit slow, but they will eventually come to fruition.
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