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Adam Schefter Has Telling Update On 'Unhappy' Buffalo Bills Star
Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

While Josh Allen got all the glory in the Buffalo Bills' 2024 season that culminated in reaching the AFC Championship Game and his MVP win, one of the stars who did a ton of the dirty work appears to be deeply unhappy with his situation in upstate New York.

On the latest episode of his podcast, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter addressed the contract situation involving Bills star running back James Cook. Despite rushing for over 1,000 yards, making the Pro Bowl and leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns last season, the Bills have balked at meeting his contract demands. 

Schefter said that the standoff has reached the point where Cook has "disconnected himself from the organization and the city." To that end, he's put his house up for sale and firmly believes that we won't be seeing him in Buffalo "anytime soon."

The NFL insider pondered if Cook would show up for training camp just to avoid the fines.

“You’ve got a guy who’s unhappy with his contractual situation... (He) has basically disconnected himself from the organization and the city,” Schefter said. “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. If they don’t have a deal done there or by then, does James Cook show up for training camp? Does he risk the penalties that come along in the collective bargaining agreement if he doesn’t show up?”

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JANUARY 26: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills hands the ball to James Cook #4 during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 26, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)David Eulitt/Getty Images

Schefter asserted that the Bills and Cook aren't "anywhere close to a deal" right now. He believes it may take time before the two even come to the table, let alone strike a deal.

“I don’t believe that these two sides are anywhere close to a deal at this point in time,” Schefter added. “And as we enter a critical season for the Buffalo Bills, James Cook is one of the more important players there. With a deal not on the horizon, that looms as a little storm cloud over the promising season that’s ahead for the Buffalo Bills... I don’t think the two sides are close now and I think this is going to take some time to figure out.”

Cook has been responsible for over 3,500 yards from scrimmage and 27 touchdowns since joining the Bills in 2022. Production like his will be hard to replace in 2025 if he winds up holding out.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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