Just two days ago, Buffalo Bills training camp caught a bit of a surprise when running back James Cook showed up in street clothes and did not take part in practice. This was another chapter of the Cook contract situation which has drawn on for months now.
Despite some potentially thinking this could be reason to start panicking, one NFL insider believes the contrary. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer noted that Cook's actions spoke positively:
"To me, the crux of this, though, is Cook’s aforementioned desire to stay, and the reality that a running back’s earning power is so fragile. For those reasons, I think the sides will find a way to do a deal. And you should, again, take Cook’s latest action as an effort to get there."
James Cook is doing right by the Bills in his decision to hold in at training camp
Even general manager Brandon Beane admitted he was caught off guard by Cook's "business" decision, there isn't a lot of reason to worry.
It would be a completely different tone if Cook were to be absent from camp altogether. If he wasn't there with his teammates and instead, was spending time elsewhere, that would speak a totally separate message.
Instead, he is there with his teammates in hopes that the two sides can come together and get a deal done. As Breer stated, fans should be more hopeful than not when it comes to finding a resolution.
The running back market has gotten quite complicated over the last year or so with veterans like Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs securing larger free agent deals. Even Barkley and Henry would go on to earning additional money thanks to re-worked deals after their excellent 2024 campaigns.
With preseason opening up, Cook likely wouldn't have played a whole lot anyway. So, the "lost time" is really only valid when speaking about camp reps. Thankfully, not a lot has changed within the Bills' scheme as Joe Brady is still in his position as offensive coordinator.
Cook might miss some practice reps and will have to shake off the rust once he gets his new deal. Other than that, he will be just fine.