Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has high hopes for his next contract extension.
Eligible for a new deal for the first time in his career, Cook, 25, doesn’t sound like he’s angling to offer any sort of hometown discount to the franchise that chose him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Cook, 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, has become a focal point of the Bills’ offense alongside MVP quarterback Josh Allen, and is fresh off 1,009-yard 2024 season in which he rushed for a career-high 12 touchdowns, setting the stage for a potentially massive pay raise.
“Gonna Stand on What I Stand On” James Cook’s Message to Buffalo Bills
Sep 8, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (28) runs the ball in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
This is the first opportunity in the former University of Georgia standout’s NFL career that he’ll have the opportunity to make marquee money, and it doesn’t sound like he’s going to squander it.
“I’m gonna stand on what I stand on,” Cook recently said. “I don’t want to feel like a cancer at all ‘cause I don’t like that attention. That’s not me, honestly. I’m just standing on business, man, and what I deserve.”
Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) reacts after rushing for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Cook has already gone on record this offseason, stating that he’s looking for $15 million per season on his next deal.
If Cook is able to wrangle that kind of salary from the Bills, he’d be the second-highest-paid running back in the league, trailing only Christian McCaffrey’s deal, which averages out to $19 million, annually.
Through his first three seasons, Cook has rushed for 2,638 yards with 20 touchdowns, and while the Bills would likely prefer to keep him in the fold, there might be more prudent uses of the kind of money Cook is asking for to continue building around Allen and a running back chosen early in a deep running back draft class.
How Cook handles playing out the final season on his rookie contract, if the Bills don’t extend him this offseason, though, remains to be seen.
