The Bills have not made significant headway in extension negotiations with star running back James Cook, but the team is still hoping to get a deal done before the regular season.
“I still think the door is open,” said ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on the team’s One Bills Live podcast. “Last I checked, there wasn’t a lot of progress, but there was still some optimism in the big picture that maybe they could figure something out.”
Cook’s desire for a new contract has been one of the Bills’ main offseason storylines, especially as the team rewarded several other 2022 draftees with long-term extensions. However, those players – WR Khalil Shakir, CB Christian Benford, and LB Terrel Bernard – did not land anywhere near the top of their respective positional markets.
Cook has previously stated a desire to reach $15MM per year on his next contract, which would match Derrick Henry for the third-highest APY for a running back. Statistically, though, Cook does not appear to belong in that group. He tied Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs for the league lead with 16 touchdowns last year, but his 2,131 rushing yards and 4.8 yards per carry since 2023 only rank eighth among all ballcarriers.
“He’s been ultra productive,” continued Fowler, “but the only running backs that are really getting paid at a high clip as we’re seeing is the top of the top.”
Cook skipped the Bills’ voluntary OTAs, but participated fully in mandatory minicamp last month. There, he also announced his intention to report to training camp, according to The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia, though he did not say if he would participate in practice or stage a ‘hold-in.’
“I don’t know, man. We’ll see when camp comes,” said Cook. Bills general manager Brandon Beane previously expressed confidence that Cook would be “ready to roll whether there’s a deal or not.”