Paying running backs appears to be back in vogue, and James Cook has not been shy this offseason about hoping to add his name to the list of ball-carriers to cash in.
Back in February, the Buffalo Bills RB commented on social media that he'd like $15 million per year, doubling down on that shortly after on the Nightcap Podcast by saying, "Feed me the big bucks."
Bills general manager Brandon Beane said on March 30 he didn't see a deal with Cook coming to fruition any time soon as the team prepared for a draft that has now come and gone. Cook has since been absent from Buffalo's offseason program, all of which has been voluntary thus far, though Beane said Wednesday he expects the star will be ready to roll when it's time to play.
As for the back himself, he was tight-lipped on Saturday when asked about the possibility of a future holdout during a Celebrity Poker Tour event in Las Vegas.
"I necessarily don't want to talk about it right now, because it's like, it's something I want to hold in to myself," Cook told PokerNews. "Just let the business take care of the business."
Cook is still a month away from being required to report to any of the team's offseason program, when Buffalo holds its mandatory minicamp from June 10-12. If he takes part, that would bode well for his attendance at training camp in late July. But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't be a world-ending decision as part of posturing for a contract.
Neither Beane nor Cook has suggested in the past several months that there has been contentiousness over Cook's hope for a big-time deal.
The Bills, despite spreading the ball around their stable of backs that includes Ray Davis and Ty Johnson, are undoubtedly at their best with Cook leading the charge. The 25-year-old has made two straight Pro Bowls on the strength of consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and in 2024 tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns with 16.
AFC East winners for five years running but unable to break through in the postseason, Buffalo has a better chance of finally doing so with Cook in the fold.
Could Buffalo eventually relent and extend him after cutting costs in past offseasons, even at a $15-million-per-year price tag that would make him the NFL's third-highest-paid running back? Would Cook be happy taking less at some point?
Even without an extension, he could benefit from showing up to play out the final year of his rookie deal, and with another big campaign might cement himself at the price point he covets -- whether it comes from the Bills or someone else in 2026.
A conclusion is still far off.
For now, Cook is content to keep business and football separate.
"However it works out, it works out," Cook said when asked if he anticipates a deal on the horizon. "I mean, I just make sure the business is a business, and just do whatever I can to always be there for my teammates, and however it works out, it works out. And then we go play football."
