Bills Coach Details James Cook Improvement; Key To New Contract?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 9:51 PM ET

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook will be in the headlines all offseason, either until he signs a new deal or the regular season begins.

With no movement on a new contract, as the Bills have just $100,700 in cap space, there is a feeling that James will have to play the 2025 season on his rookie contract.

That isn't ideal, but that is the world Cook is likely living in, and after another 1,000+ yard season, to go with his 16 touchdowns, which tied the franchise record, there doesn't appear to be a desire to extend Cook, at least not this offseason.

James' 2024 season was a sight to behold, a bruising runner who scored at will, having just four combined touchdowns in the previous two seasons, Cook then slammed home 16 under Joe Brady.

But how did Cook have such a big jump in production? Running back coach Kelly Skipper knows why.

"I thought the biggest thing to me was he improved his strength," Skipper said via ESPN. "He was able to break more tackles, run physical, so his whole game came together last year.

"He had a lot of success. ... It's good to have him back. ... He has a contract issue and all that stuff going on. That'll take care of itself. He just wanted to be around his teammates, and he's happy to be here. I mean, to be able to play, he loves football. So, him being around his teammates was really good for him."

Training camp looms as the big watch for Cook. Yes, he attended minicamp, but only so he didn't lose his money, and as we know, training camp holdouts get expensive very quickly.

Of course, he could "hold in," meaning he's at the practice field but doesn't participate in drills, and therefore, can't get fined.

So it will be a delicate balancing act for Cook and his agent to perform this offseason, but we don't think the contract they want will be forthcoming this year.

And if that is the case, we aren't entirely sure where that leaves Cook and his Bills future.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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