Bills vs. Cook Contract Update Includes $20M Mention and 'Middle Ground'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 9:17 AM ET

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is still without the new contract he desires and, as such, wasn't present as OTAs got underway.

That isn't a big deal given this time of the year, workouts are voluntary, but if James holds out when training camp begins, then Buffalo might have a problem.

Thought to want roughly $15 million APY, and possibly more, the Bills, after extending several key players this offseason, have precious little cap room left to make many moves, with just $1.6 million per Over The Cap left over, ranking them dead last.

For insider Peter Schrager, who appeared on the Pat McAfee Show, he believes both parties must meet in the middle for an extension to come to fruition.

"I don't know if it's $20 [million APY], but it's significantly more than what I think the Bills are looking to extend him with this offseason," Schrager said. "So there's going to have to be some middle ground there, but Brandon Beane's job this offseason was to extend a lot of different guys. I think they want to take care of James, but not at the numbers that are being tossed around at the moment."

With Saquon Barkley ($20.6 million APY), Christian McCaffrey ($19 million APY), and Jonathan Taylor ($14 million APY), the top three highest-paid backs, Cook feels he belongs in that sort of company.

If the Bills are to sign Cook, some salary cap wizardry would have to be done by Beane, given how tight things are, which makes us think next season could be when James might get the deal he desires.

But that would mean playing on the final year of his rookie deal, and that isn't what players usually like to do.

However, that might be the only avenue for Cook to get his extension because right now, even if Buffalo wanted to, it likely couldn't extend Cook due to its salary cap situation.

So both parties are going to have to find some "middle ground" to get this deal over the line.

But when that is or will be, is anyone's guess.

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

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