Bills RB James Cook Holding In?

Bills running back James Cook is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is seeking a lucrative extension. However, he was a full participant at Buffalo’s first training camp practice, and reports at the time indicated he would continue to do so and would not ‘hold in.’

That appears to have changed. Cook did not practice on Sunday, and when asked why, he simply replied, “business” (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). When asked if he would practice Monday, he answered, “business.” Per Getzenberg, he kept repeating the word “business” in response to follow-up questions. The team, meanwhile, indicated it has no comment on the matter, per Getzenberg.

Prior reports suggested the Bills and Cook were still discussing a new deal, although we had also heard there was little traction in negotiations since Cook’s asking price of $15MM per year became public. That AAV would place Cook in a third-place tie with Derrick Henry in the league’s running back hierarchy, and while Cook (26 in September) is over five years younger than Henry with considerably less mileage on his odometer, he does not have nearly the same track record as a game-changing talent.

Still, since taking over as the Bills’ RB1 in 2023, Cook has earned two Pro Bowl nods and has averaged an impressive 4.8 yards per carry across 444 totes. He has also demonstrated a nose for the end zone, recording a league-high 16 rushing touchdowns last season as part of a Buffalo offense that finished 10th in yards and second in scoring. He is therefore justified in making a big ask, and it is unclear whether his apparent new stance reflects some sort of regression in contract talks.

The Bills have busy on the extension front this offseason. The likes of Khalil Shakir, Gregory Rousseau, Christian Benford and Terrel Bernard have each received lucrative second contracts keeping them in Buffalo for the foreseeable future. General manager Brandon Beane has previously suggested Cook would need to replicate his previous production over the 2024 campaign before the team makes a similar commitment in this instance, however. Today’s development is another sign that could be the case.

In addition to Cook, Buffalo has veteran Ty Johnson and 2024 fourth-rounder Ray Davis set to return in the backfield. The presence of those two as depth options could once again prevent Cook from handling a true three-down role this season, something which would in turn hinder his market value on a second Bills pact or one sending him to a new team. Before the regular season kicks off, it will be interesting to see if Cook’s latest move yields any progress in extension talks or if the possibility of missing game time arises.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.