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James Cook returned to practice on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he earned a big-money extension.
The Buffalo Bills and Cook have agreed to terms on a four-year, $48 million contract extension with $30 million guaranteed, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported, per sources informed of the deal.
The $12 million per year in new-money average is a significant boost over the $5.271 million in base salary the running back was set to make in the final year of his rookie contract. Cook is now tied for the sixth-highest-paid running back in the NFL.
Cook is coming off back-to-back 1,000-plus yard campaigns. In 2024, he led the Bills with 207 carries, 1,009 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, tied for the most in the NFL. The 16 rushing scores also tied for the most in a season in Buffalo franchise history.
Cook averaged a career-high 4.9 yards per tote last year, ranking sixth-most in the NFL (min. 150 carries).
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The back skipped voluntary offseason workouts this spring but participated in June’s mandatory minicamp. He reported to training camp last month, but on Aug. 3, he stopped practicing, citing “business” reasons. Though he dressed for the preseason opener against the Giants, he did not play.
His hold-in abruptly ended on Tuesday with coach Sean McDermott saying things “changed” with Cook’s situation. The coach didn’t elaborate on the change, and Cook declined to speak to the media after practice.
Less than 24 hours later, the truth of what changed is now clear.
Cook got paid.
While it’s less than the $15 million he sought, following Kyren Williams‘ $11 million-per-year deal that came down last week, that $15 million figure seemed a pipe dream. Meeting at $12 million per year feels like a good solution for both the Bills and Cook.
With the Bills employing a committee approach, Cook logged just 49 percent of the snaps last season, raising questions about whether the club would want to pay a back with that rep count more than $10 million per year. In the end, they did.
Now, entering 2025, the deal is wrapped up, and the Bills can focus on the goal of winning their first Super Bowl. Giving their highly paid running back a few more touches would go a long way toward that goal.