Alaina Getzenberg
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills running back James Cook was in attendance Tuesday for the first day of mandatory minicamp despite seeking a contract extension as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.
Bills coach Sean McDermott said that he anticipates Cook practicing in the sessions “as far as I know, at this point.”
“I credit James,” McDermott said. “Business is business. At the end of the day, I know he loves being around this team and the guys in the locker room and he loves to play football.
“So, I respect his decision to be here and be amongst the team and get some work in today, and we’re looking forward to that.”
The Bills rewarded three other members of the 2022 draft class with four-year extensions — wide receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrel Bernard and cornerback Christian Benford. The Bills had conversations with Cook’s team, but ultimately the two sides were not close to a deal.
“We’re just taking it one day at a time,” said McDermott, who added that he is planning on Cook also being at training camp on time. “I mean, we’ve all been around this league a long time and everyone has their own situations. They’re all different.
“So, I think again, we need everybody to win, and we need everybody to practice, and so we expect James to be there and be there on time but also understand his situation.”
Cook is coming off his best year, tying a franchise record with 16 rushing touchdowns, which also tied for the NFL lead. The other three players with at least 15 rushing touchdowns last season — Derrick Henry, Jahmyr Gibbs, Josh Jacobs — rank among the top 25 running backs in average annual pay, with two of them — Henry and Jacobs — in the top six.
Cook’s 2,638 career rushing yards are the most among players from the 2022 draft class.
Cook has publicly shared his desire for a new contract, including going live on Instagram and pinning “15 mill [per] year.” He has an average salary per year of $1.5 million, which ranks 51st among running backs in 2025. Fellow Bills running backs Ty Johnson ($2.5 million) and Reggie Gilliam ($2 million) are ahead of him.
