The Buffalo Bills haven’t been one of the loudest teams since the end of the 2024 season, but they have been in-and-out of the news since they were eliminated from the playoffs. Their biggest storyline going into free agency was whether or not their star running back James Cook would get his contractual demands of $15 million per year.
As of right now, that hasn’t been the incase. Instead, two of his other classmates from 2022 have been paid. Wide receiver Khalil Shakir and linebacker Terrel Bernard both got paid by the Bills and are locked in for the foreseeable future. In addition, the Bills also extended edge rusher Greg Rousseau and their MVP quarterback Josh Allen to new deals.
Now, Cook is still waiting for a new deal but he’s not the only one waiting as well. Cornerback Christian Benford is also eligible for a contract extension as he is heading into a contract year in 2025. Both Cook and Benford have been stars for the Bills over the last two seasons and quite frankly, not seeing either of them having a new contract is surprising. However, NFL Insider Albert Breer was able to shine some light on an update for both players in regards to potential contract extensions.
Bills are at major risk of losing two impactful players after 2025
Breer was asked a question in his mailbag article about whether or not Cook and Benford are true contract extension candidates. "It’ll be challenging to find a dollar value for either guy, but the Bills will try." said Breer. Breer went into depth about Cook and what his production meant for the Bills, but didn’t give much info about Benford’s impact for Buffalo’s defense.
Outside of Josh Allen, you could make the argument that the Bills don’t have another offensive threat besides James Cook. He’s rushed for back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons and was tied for the most rushing touchdowns last season (16). Not to mention, we know what type of threat he is in the passing game.
As for Benford, he’s the clear-cut CB1 for the Bills and Buffalo still needs someone opposite of him that is just as dependable. This past season, Benford only allowed 8.5 yards per completion, which is a career-best for him so far. In three seasons, Benford has snagged five interceptions.
With all of the extensions that the Bills have given this offseason, along with the free agency moves, it’s going to be very shocking to see both Cook and Benford get extensions from Brandon Beane. However, anything is possible. With Breer saying that the Bills will try to do what they can, Bills fans may have to accept the fact that one, or even both of them are gone after next season.