The Buffalo Bills have been right on the cusp of a Super Bowl appearance in recent years thanks to a solid defense and superstar performances from quarterback Josh Allen. However, they have been thwarted at every turn by their AFC foes.
This offseason, Buffalo made several key additions that they believe will finally put them over the hump, but they have been thrown off course once again. Running back James Cook made his gripes about his contract situation known this offseason, but he recently decided to sit out of camp.
Cook is a pivotal part of the Bills' offense, given his 1,267 all-purpose yards and league-leading 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024. If he cannot find some common ground with general manager Brandon Beane, however, Buffalo may be behind the 8-ball to begin the year if he refuses to play.
Josh Allen "desperately" wants James Cook back at Bills training camp
Allen spoke candidly about Cook's contract situation with NFL.com's Adam Rank. As expected, the Bills' undisputed leader expressed his support for Cook amid the ongoing saga, but kept it within the lens of a team-first approach.
"James is who he is. He's one of the best running backs in the league, and you'd be crazy to say we don't want him out there," Allen said. "We desperately want him out there with us. Hopefully, something can get done."
Over the last two seasons, Cook has certainly proved that he is among the best runners in the NFL. However, his supposed asking price of $15 million per year is a bit steep for a team that has no cap space this year or in the near future, according to Spotrac.
RELATED: Bills have painfully obvious reunion to consider amid James Cook drama
Luckily, the Bills have a solid running back room to supplement Cook with Ray Davis and Ty Johnson. Allen believes that, while getting Cook back on the field would be the ultimate boost, there are benefits to letting other players get reps in the preseason.
"It's no different than Khalil (Shakir) being out with an ankle," Allen said. "Guys are stepping up and making plays. It was good for Ray to get some of these reps, and getting on the same page with Ty again, who I think is the best third-down back in the game. It just gives them a couple of more opportunities."
Ideally, these opportunities will be limited in the coming weeks if Cook can reach an agreement with the team and return to practice in full capacity. However, Allen and the team are seemingly still prepared and confident to operate without him.