As Buffalo opened their offseason Organized Team Activities, one member of the Bills was notably absent: James Cook. The running back seeks to leverage the absence to make the front office think twice about his lack of a contract extension.

Cook is entering the final year of his rookie deal, set to earn close to $6 million in 2025. He is reportedly seeking to become among the highest-paid running backs in the NFL, even pinning “$15 million a year” on Instagram. An annual salary of that size would place him third in the league behind only Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey. The Bills have balked at the request, seemingly to call Cook’s bluff. He would be unlikely to sit out the season and forego game checks while accumulating fines, so this is probably little more than an opportunity to skip practices often deemed by veterans as an “inconvenience.”

Cook had the best season of his career in 2024, totaling 1,267 yards from scrimmage (1,009 rushing) and scoring 18 total touchdowns while leading the league with 16 on the ground. The 16 rushing touchdowns bested his previous two seasons, when he garnered only two each. Fantasy managers are wary of the inevitable scoring regression headed his way, especially with Josh Allen and his quarterback, and increased carries for second-year back Ray Davis. Cook is currently the consensus RB14 according to ADP in redraft formats.

Currently, there have been no negotiations or offers from the Buffalo front office, with Brandon Beane saying there won’t be a new deal “anytime soon.”

Author: Sam Schneider (@BuyAndSellYou)