The Buffalo Bills have long prided themselves on avoiding distractions: a hallmark under GM Brandon Beane’s tenure of swiftly re-signing key players and getting deals done quietly. That pride is untouched unless you mention the name James Cook. This one distraction in the Bills locker room isn’t only hitting that pride on the nerve, it’s setting their tone, moving forward. So much so that Cook warmed up with the team, yet didn’t play for them even when he was needed against the New York Giants. HC Scott McDermott said on the situation, “He agreed to warm up but not play due to his situation right now. That’s where we’re at. So no change, really, overall…We wanted him to play. I wanted him to play, but I don’t really want to go into it any further.” They lost 34-25 to the Giants.
James Cook is entering the final season of his four-year, $5.83 million rookie contract. And he thinks his performances have outgrown the deal that he was signed for as a rookie. The RB had a sensational 2024. His reliability was on display as he carried the football 207 times for 1,009 yards, amassing 16 touchdowns in 16 games. In 2022, the one they signed was a rookie indeed, but now he’s a big part of that squad; the numbers don’t lie.
Having participated in mandatory minicamp and early training sessions, the 25-year-old then stepped back, opting to prioritize his physical and mental well-being as negotiations stalled. His self-imposed hold-in, a departure from the Bills’ historically seamless renewal strategy, sent shockwaves through Buffalo’s football culture. Dianna Russini of The Athletic pointed out how unusual this standoff is for Buffalo, offering a measured analysis on the situation.
Russini explained, “It’s certainly not great at this point, right. So, we saw Kyren Williams out of LA get paid around $11 million(per year). And we know that James has said publicly, that you know, he thinks his worth is about $15 million(per year). Credit to him. He’s shooting high. He knows that he’s valuable to this offense. And we saw the affect that Saquon Barkley had on the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl in their run. So, more power to them, swinging for the fences.” Emphasizing Kyren Williams as the benchmark for Cook’s new deal, who on Tuesday signed a three-year, $33 million extension that keeps him in Los Angeles through 2028. Williams earned it with back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons as a productive starter, proof of what a balanced market deal looks like for a top-tier running back.
The Bills have never dealt with a situation like James Cook’s during the Brandon Beane era.
And as both sides attempt to hammer out a deal that works for everyone involved, how could Kyren Williams’ extension affect things?
What I’m hearing:pic.twitter.com/vA6h4UuevP
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 12, 2025
However, she believes, even though the Bills have never seen something like this in almost a decade, both sides will soon hash out a deal. Russini further added, “They like re-signing their players and getting it done, and keeping the distractions away from their team. I think this is something they work out. Like I’m not overly concerned. It’s just when, right? Because now we’re at that time,” So will the Bills give Cook the benchmark pay?
But before Buffalo can even get to the numbers, Cook’s hold-in has already stirred a kind of unrest in the Bills locker room that this franchise wasn’t expecting.
Bills’ Josh Allen speaks out on the James Cook situation
For the NFL world, hashing out deals and managing holdouts is a part of the game, might it be on the business side. In Orchard Park, however, it is the rarest of scenarios, so much so that even the Bills’ QB1, Josh Allen, felt compelled to speak up, urging the team to get its most dynamic back on the field as soon as possible. Given that Buffalo has a little under $1 million in cap space, squeezing in a deal for James Cook, who has publicly floated a $15 million per-year valuation, feels like threading a needle. Yet with the Bills firmly in the Super Bowl contender conversation, GM Beane might want his best squad ready on the pitch.
And if he has any doubts, Allen himself made it clear that he wants all hands on deck. “James is one of the best running backs in the league and we desperately want him out there with us,” Allen said. “Hopefully something can get done. … It’s generational wealth. … It’s making sure he’s healthy. … He knows what he’s doing.” It’s clear that Allen has his eyes on the Super Bowl, and so do the Bills.
Yet Brandon Beane’s words described a different scenario altogether. “There’s been communication since we’ve been here. This is my ninth season here, I’ve never had a player missing a practice over contract. So I take personal responsibility for that. I don’t like that. One of my jobs is to make sure I’m eliminating any distractions from our team and our organization.” Unfortunately, it’s that’s where it’s at from a decision that he and his camp made the last couple days. Hopefully soon we can get some resolution one way or the other. Whether that’s a deal or whether that’s, ‘Hey, there’s no deal now, let’s play it out and go from there.”
So will Cook settle down? Or will he fight further for his recognition? While that is a question the Bills have to have an answer for, Cook’s importance doesn’t just lie in his own words and hold-outs. Because if the front office had any doubts as to why they need Cook in the team, their superstar quarterback reminded them.
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