The Buffalo Bills are finding themselves in a tough and tricky situation with one of their rising stars, who is entering a contract year in 2025. Running back James Cook has become the second best offensive player on the Bills outside of Josh Allen the last two seasons. Now he believes that he deserves to get paid big time.
According to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, Cook recently joined former NFL players Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson on Nightcap and reiterated what he is looking to get paid. Cook is taking the approach of making it well-known what he wants, and what he wants is $15 million a year from the Bills.
The first time we learned about Cook’s desired number was on Instagram when he pinned a comment on the social media platform of saying “$15 mill year” and it’s been the main focus of the Bills since their AFC championship loss to the Chiefs.
"Turning 26 before the 2025 season, Cook would need to carry more of a hefty workload than he did in Buffalo last season to justify the salary leap. The Bills tended toward a committee and, at times, lost Cook in the shuffle -- i.e., going long stretches between touches in the AFC Championship Game, including the final nine minutes of the loss."Kevin Patra, NFL.com
It's going to be an interesting build up to 2025 season with Bills, James Cook
Cook has been undeniably valuable to the Bills since 2023. Rushing for back-to-back 1,000+ yards and tied for the most rushing touchdowns in 2024, Cook certainly has a case to bring to the table to make the Bills pay up. The biggest problem is that he isn’t an every-down back and Buffalo is notorious for utilizing a committee in the backfield, as Patra stated above.
However, the Bills don’t have another star playmaker outside of Allen. Cook provides that type of talent for Buffalo and without him, who knows how their offense would operate. Unless the Bills are able to bring in another solid player or a potential star, Cook might have more leverage than fans think.
Will Brandon Beane budge and pay Cook? Or will he let this situation play out and take the risk of having his star running back be upset and potentially holdout? The build up to the 2025 season is going to be something to watch as more news comes out about the Bills and Cook.