The Buffalo Bills may have just found themselves in a bigger predicament when it comes to their star running back. Since the end of the playoffs, James Cook has been very vocal about what he wants to get paid. He is seeking $15 million per year from the Bills and it’s caused a lot of conversation between fans.
With still having one more year left on his rookie deal, Buffalo doesn’t necessarily have to pay him right now, but if he continues to have success like he has the last two seasons, the price is only going to go up more. Every player should be advocating for themselves to get paid, but Cook is going public with it which is putting pressure on Brandon Beane.
For the longest time, the running back position has become devalued because teams arenot interested in investing in them due to them having shorter careers. However, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley have chanced the market with their production in 2024 with their new teams.
All three of them played a huge role in their team success and Barkley was a huge contributor in helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl. After just one year of getting a three-year deal, the Eagles have rewarded Barkley with a two-year $41.2 million contract extension. This new deal makes Barkley the first ever $20 million+ per year running back, according to Adam Schefter.
This new deal now puts pressure on Bills to sign James Cook to a long-term deal
Cook has already reacted to the Barkley news and is one of the next running backs looking to get paid. Rushing for back-to-back 1,000+ rushing yard seasons in an offense where the main focus is on Josh Allen, Cook has proved that he deserves to get paid. With Barkley’s new deal, Cook’s demands for $15 million per year would put him as the third-highest paid running back in the league.
Again, there is no need to rush to sign Cook but the longer you wait, the more expensive he could become. Just go ask former Bills’ assistant general manager Joe Schoen, who is the current general manager of the New York Giants. He didn’t prioritize having Barkley back with the Giants and now not only is he with a division rival, but he is a Super Bowl champ.
With free agency and the NFL Draft approaching, it will be interesting to see what moves the Bills make that could potentially impact Cook. If Buffalo doesn’t bring in another back that could be worthy of taking over as the starter in a year, then Cook will have leverage.