The drama between the Buffalo Bills and James Cook is finally over! After many months of an ongoing contract dispute, both sides have come to an agreement and can now focus on the task at hand; winning the Super Bowl.
According to Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, the Bills have extended Cook to a 4-year, $48 million extension with $30 million guaranteed.
Breaking: 2x Pro Bowl RB James Cook and the #Bills reached a four-year, $48 million contract extension with $30M guaranteed, his agents Zac Hiller & Matt Leist of LAA tell me and @RapSheet.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 13, 2025
Despite logging just 48% of snaps last season, Cook will now make $12M a year and look… pic.twitter.com/stV1pFJ1gN
With this signing, the Bills have now extended all of the notable players from their 2022 draft class. Extending Cook was by far the best decision the Bills could have made going into the season.
James Cook and Bills finally settle contract dispute with new extension
Cook has become a dominant player for the Bills the last two seasons, rushing for back-to-back 1,000+ yards and had 16 touchdowns on the ground last season. He is the best playmaker the Bills have outside of Josh Allen and it’s not even close.
Drafted in the second round in 2022 out of Georgia, Cook has exceeded expectations in this offense and has rightfully deserved a payday. However, Cook is only making $12 million per year after he was seeking atleast $15 million per year. Yet, his overall guarantees is high for a back that doesn’t play a whole lot of third downs. That’s okay though, because we know what he brings to the offense.
Not only was this the right decision for the Bills, but extending Cook also keeps the Bills’ Super Bowl window wide open even after the 2025 season. You can never have too many playmakers on the offense to play with the MVP and the Bills knew that.
Buffalo’s Super Bowl window was already open, but if Cook had left for free agency next offseason, it would have closed it a little bit whether fans want to admit it or not. Either way, we no longer have to worry about that possibility as Cook gets his money and the Bills get to keep their star back.