James Cook has earned less in his career than first-round running back Ashton Jeanty will make after just one NFL season. Now entering his fourth year, Cook has rushed for over 1,000 yards in two of the last three seasons and tied for the most rushing touchdowns last year. He’s currently in a contract dispute with the Buffalo Bills. That effort might be as fruitless as fighting with Adrian Peterson for a car payment. Frankly, Cook would have a better chance getting the money from Peterson, at this point. The Bills leave Week 1 of the preseason as the only team with negative Cap Space, $600,208 over the limit.

The Bills prefer Cook settle for the $5.3 million he’s set to make in 2025, ranking him 16th among running backs. Cook has other plans. He suited up for warmups ahead of the Bills’ preseason opener against the Giants but was out of pads by kickoff, spending most of the game on the sideline near running backs coach Kelly Skipper. By the way, Kelly Skipper – great last name for a coach. Great first name for an American Idol Winner.

“I wanted him to play.” McDermott said after the game, speaking of Cook. “I don’t really want to go into it any further. There’s really no change at this point and time from what it was going into this weekend and the game today. He warmed up, like I said, but at this point, due to his situation and the position he’s in, was not willing to play. So that’s where we’re at. Again, it was a good conversation, but really no change overall.”

The Buffalo Bills were four points away from going to the Super Bowl just 7 months ago. From Seattle I can hear half the fans at Highmark Stadium screaming for the Bills to just pay the man to end the distraction. The other half is pointing to Cook’s 16th most rushing yards (matching his 16th ranked Running Back Salary), screaming that if Cook wants more money he should pad up, make defenders miss, and compete for an MVP – almost certainly forcing a Franchise Tag.
There is no way that Ashton Jeanty deserves $19 Million more in one season, than Cook has earned throughout his career. Jeanty hasn’t played one snap of real professional football yet (No, the preseason doesn’t count). Still, Bills General Manager Brandon Beane needs to find a solution. Imagine Cook holding out for the Ravens in Week 1. That’s a game that could easily have playoff implications. What if Cook’s absence causes a slip to the Jets in Week 2? Things would get very loud, very fast in Buffalo. And for a team that’s in their Super Bowl window right now – letting this linger is a mistake the Bills can’t afford.

James Cook Contract Dispute Could Be the Distraction That Derails Buffalo’s Super Bowl Run