Bills' James Cook Reacts To Major Eagles' Saquon Contract Update

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Mar 4, 2025 4:52 PM ET

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook and his contract situation are now becoming an interesting watch.

With Cook wanting to be one of the highest-paid backs in football at around $15 million APY, that is a steep price to pay, but Bills general manager Brandon Beane has stated that he "wants James here" at the scouting combine. Now things have taken a rather interesting turn.

And it's all Saquon Barkley's fault.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Barkley have sensationally agreed to a new two-year, $41 million extension, which has $36 million guaranteed. This is a big domino to fall this offseason.

And don't think Cook hasn't noticed.

He took to X and posted "good business" with NFL Network's Ian Rapoport speaking on Barkley's extension.

It now puts the Bills in an interesting position with Barkley now the highest-paid back in history, and we weren't sure if Buffalo would stump up $15 million APY, but now $20 million? That's a lot to ask.

Now, we aren't saying that is what Cook will want, but he has stated he wants what he deserves and in truth, having been a Pro Bowler in back-to-back years, plus rushing for over 1,000 yards on both of those seasons and is coming off rushing for 16 touchdowns in 2024, Cook does have the production to warrant getting paid.

Exactly what a contract will look like for Cook is unknown, but the Bills have made it known they want to keep James, but with Barkley's extension, it might have just gotten a little more expensive.

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

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