Bills RB James Cook on why he didn't practice Sunday: 'Business'

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2025-08-03

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Bills running back James Cook did not practice Sunday.

Cook, who is seeking a contract extension but was present at mandatory minicamp, reported to training camp and had participated thus far, kept it short when asked why he sat out.

“Business,” he said, via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.

When asked if he will practice on Monday: “Business.”

NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero touched on the situation on Inside Training Camp shortly after.

“The sides have been engaged. From my understanding, they have not been that far apart through the course of the talks,” Pelissero said. “James Cook did show up and was fully participating in practice during training camp until today. … My understanding of where things stand here is, again, these sides have been in talks for a long time, they have not been that far off, but this is kind of like fourth-and-goal in the AFC Championship Game. Is James Cook going to get them across the goal line? Are the Bills going to be able to do their part to back it up?

“This is not a situation where the sides are completely breaking down. It does make some sense if James Cook has these contract negotiations hovering over his head, that it would make sense for everybody to not have him practicing when he’s not necessarily locked in solely on football. We’ve seen injuries happen around the NFL.”

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Cook made it known shortly after the conclusion of last season that he would like a contract in the $15 million-per-year range. Such a deal would put him on par with the Ravens’ Derrick Henry and behind the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey and the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley, who average $19 million and $20.6 million per year, respectively.

The Bills extended others over the offseason, such as cornerback Christian Benford and defensive end Gregory Rousseau, but did not get anything with Cook across the finish line.

On July 24, Cook said he was focused on the 2025 season, noting the contract would eventually happen — “wherever it happens.” General manager Brandon Beane spoke the day before those comments, saying he loves Cook and the team wants to re-sign its homegrown talent, but also acknowledged that making everything fit under the cap space is “a business.”

Cook’s actions (and answers) Sunday suggest he’s taking a different approach to conducting such business, but Cook has played ball up until now. It remains to be seen if his sitting out practice Sunday turns into a prolonged hold-in.