Buffalo Bills running back James Cook on the field during training camp at St. John Fisher University. Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Contract situation not hindering James Cook during Bills training camp

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI | By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 11:56 AM ET

Following a busy offseason, the Buffalo Bills are a couple of days into their 2025 training camp.

The Bills focused on adding defenders to their roster, with several players picked up in free agency and the NFL draft. They also decided to lock up some of their key players, with three defenders landing massive extensions.

Defensive end Gregory Rousseau , linebacker Terrel Bernard, and cornerback Christian Benford all signed multi-year deals, keeping them in Buffalo for the foreseeable future. One player who didn’t get an extension, however, is running back James Cook.

Coming off his second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign, Cook is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He sought an extension with the team, but general manager Brandon Beane never made it a priority.

This led to concerns that Cook could hold out, but that’s not the case. Cook not only showed up, but he’s been heavily involved in the offense and has been standing out early in camp.

With negotiations ongoing, the #Bills don’t seem to be limiting James Cook one bit during training camp. Plenty of carries and catches, including a long romp just now that found the end zone. Big cheer for the crowd, Cook with some emotion at the end of the play #BillsMafia
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) July 24, 2025

Cook has a chance to do something rarely accomplished this season. If he crosses the 1,000-yard plateau he will be just the third player in franchise history to accomplish the feat three years in a row. He would join elite company with O.J. Simpson and Thurman Thomas being the previous two.

While this contract impasse means there’s a real chance Cook leaves next offseason, he could at least cement himself in the team’s record book.