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James Cook, Bills Contract Standoff Receives Harsh Update

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Orlando Silva | Last updated Jun 7, 2025 11:11 AM ET

The Buffalo Bills entered the new NFL year with a big question to answer. James Cook is coming off his best season after posting 207 carries, racking up 1,009 yards and 16 touchdowns in 16 games.

He went from being a strong force to a scoring machine, helping the Bills play in the AFC championship game, where the Kansas City Chiefs stopped them again.

Amid an offseason in which the team gave Josh Allen a new $330 million contract and extended several members of the 2022 class, including linebacker Terrel Bernard, wide receiver Khalil Shakir and cornerback Christian Benford, Cook expressed his desire to win $15 million per campaign, as he entered his final year on his current deal.

Buffalo's management stated they aren't entertaining that possibility at the moment, putting Cook in a difficult position.

Amid his contract standoff, Cook opted to skip the voluntary OTAs at the end of May, sounding the alarms for the defending AFC East champions. Their mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 10-12, which could be the breaking point of this relationship.

During Wednesday's edition of his "The Adam Schefter Podcast," the NFL insider shared a grim update on where things stand between Cook and his team. Schefter says that Cook will likely remain absent from his team's practice for the foreseeable future.

“You’ve got a guy who’s unhappy with his contractual situation," Schefter said. "(He) has basically disconnected himself from the organization and the city, put his house up for sale...I don’t think we’ll be seeing him in Buffalo anytime soon. Again, the start of training camp will be the next critical moment. If they don’t have a deal done there or by then, does James Cook show up for training camp? Does he risk the penalties that come along in the collective bargaining agreement if he doesn’t show up?

Schefter then added how other teams with star running backs handled their situations differently.

"We've seen the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason reward Saquon Barkley, we've seen the Baltimore Ravens reward Derrick Henry. We have not seen the Buffalo Bills pay James Cook yet. James Cook is a valuable member of that offense."

The running back market experienced big changes thanks to Barkley, Henry and Cook's performances in 2024. They posted remarkable seasons that helped their teams compete in the playoffs, but only two of them have been given new deals.

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

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