Bills turn focus to Super Bowl pursuit by ending James Cook contract saga

As soon as it was confirmed on Tuesday that Buffalo Bills running back James Cook planned to resume practicing because things had "changed" regarding his desire for a contract extension, it seemed to be a matter of when and not if fans would learn that the two sides had come to terms on an agreement. 

It turns out Cook had millions of reasons to suit up on Aug. 12. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday morning that Cook has received a four-year, $48M contract extension that includes $30M guaranteed from the Bills. According to Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN, the $30M guarantee is the most handed to a running back over the past five years.

Cook was in the final year of his rookie deal and stopped participating in training-camp practices as part of a hold-in earlier in August. However, his agent later insisted that the 25-year-old "only wants to be a Buffalo Bill" and would continue "working toward" a resolution through the preseason. 

Last week, Buffalo quarterback and reigning regular-season Most Valuable Player Josh Allen directly said that he "desperately" wanted to have Cook back on the practice field and in the lineup. That's understandable considering what's expected of the 2025 Bills.

As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook continued to list the Bills and Baltimore Ravens as the co-favorites at +600 betting odds to win Super Bowl LX this coming February. Meanwhile, Cook was responsible for the ninth-most regular-season rushing yards (2,131) in the league over the past two campaigns. He, Ravens star Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns each last season. 

In the end, trading Cook for a future draft asset never made much sense for a Bills team that is looking to do more than simply qualify for the next postseason tournament. 

"James could only envision himself as a Buffalo Bill," agent Zac Hiller told Schefter. "We are extremely thankful to the entire Bills organization and glad we could make that happen."

With the Cook saga now behind them, the Bills can fully focus on preparing for their Week 1 "Sunday Night Football" showdown with the Ravens that will take place at Buffalo's Highmark Stadium on Sept. 7.