The Buffalo Bills and James Cook are locked in a stalemate right now. The fourth-year running back is entering the final season of his rookie contract, worth $5.3 million. He's clearly worth more than that after an explosive 2024 campaign, which saw Cook lead all running backs in touchdowns with 16. That said, Buffalo historically does not overextend to re-sign running backs, which means general manager Brandon Beane and Cook are operating with polar opposite goals and expectations.
While it's hard to imagine the Bills letting Cook walk after his rookie contract expires, that isn't exactly uncommon for running backs in today's NFL. Especially not in Buffalo. Cook logged 207 carries for 1,009 yards last season, averaging a healthy 4.9 yards per run. That is impressive output on significant volume, but it's a far cry from Saquon Barkley (345 carries) and Derrick Henry (325 carries), the true outliers of their position who can actually command significant long-term money.
Bills fans want Cook back. He probably wants to re-sign. But at the end of the day, even if there's mutual interest in a reunion, it's starting to feel like the odds are stacked against it. The Bills have "long stuck to their values," as Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic puts it, so do not expect Beane and the Buffalo brass to cave to Cook's lofty demands.
Bills are perfectly willing to let James Cook leave in free agency if his demands don't come down
"Brandon Beane, since he became general manager, has never issued a lucrative deal to a running back," Buscaglia writes. "He’s not necessarily against it, but the Bills haven’t had the type of asset to warrant deviating from that philosophy. If the sides don’t get close to a deal, the Bills aren’t going to force the issue, as they have long stuck to their values even with in-house players."
This is absolutely the right strategy. The market for running backs has been extremely depressed in recent years, but it feels like the aforementioned Barkley and Henry could turn the tides a bit. It's certainly wise to invest in the true high-end options at any position — we can lob Christian McCaffrey into the same basket when he's healthy, with Ashton Jeanty and Bijan Robinson hoping to join the club — but teams should be careful not to overreact too drastically to Barkley's success in Philadelphia. That took a special player and a special supporting cast. Buffalo just will not get that level of production out of James Cook... ever.
As such, not lobbing tens of millions of dollars of guaranteed money at Cook is probably the right decision, hard as it may be. He's a gifted player, but he falls short of the absolute top tier at his position. Moreover, running backs are generally the easiest position to fill at a discounted price. Rookie Ray Davis logged 113 carries last season. He can step into a bigger role. Ty Johnson's usage was a bit more limited, but he averaged 5.2 yards per carry — in addition to 12.5 yards per catch as a receiver.
Buffalo already has the makings of a committee to replace Cook. If he leaves next offseason, the Bills can find additional reinforcements through the draft or in free agency. So, while keeping Cook — a fan favorite and an ascending star at 25 years old — is the preferred outcome for all parties, there is a line in the sand. Buffalo can't overspend for sentimental reasons, and based on all the evidence, they won't.