James Cook’s Contract Talks with Bills Stall as GM Brandon Beane Signals No Immediate Deal

The Buffalo Bills have spent the early part of the offseason securing long-term deals for several key players on both sides of the ball. However, their starting running back, James Cook, hasn't been one of those players. On Sunday, general manager Brandon Beane suggested that a new contract for Cook is unlikely in the near future.

"I love Jimbo, proud of his success, just like the other guys we extended," Beane shared with reporters at the Annual League Meeting. "I don't discuss negotiations, but his reps did mention that we had talks. So, I'm not revealing anything new. Those discussions didn’t result in anything close to a deal, so we’ve moved on to players we’re more aligned with."

Beane continued, saying that with the Christian Benford deal done, the focus has shifted to the upcoming draft, and he doesn't foresee any deals happening soon.

Cook has been vocal about his desire for a new contract as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. He’s openly expressed wanting a salary of $15 million per year, even mentioning, "Feed me the big bucks," in interviews and on social media.

The current top of the running back market is Saquon Barkley's record-breaking contract with the Eagles, which will earn him $20.6 million annually. However, most running backs in the league earn far less, with Christian McCaffrey’s previous record of $19 million per year set last June. Only six running backs have contracts worth $10 million or more per year, making Cook’s request for $15 million a significant ask.

Over the past two seasons, Cook has certainly proved his value to the Bills, posting back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and earning Pro Bowl selections each year. This past season, he led the league with 16 rushing touchdowns and added 258 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. Despite his strong performance, his total workload might be a factor in the team’s hesitation to pay him at a top-tier running back level. Cook finished 20th in carries (207) and 16th in rushing yards (1,009) last season, which is lower than other bell-cow backs like Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, Bijan Robinson, and Josh Jacobs, all of whom outperformed him in these categories.

With the Bills ranked 30th in available cap space, according to Over the Cap, offering Cook the $15 million he seeks appears unlikely at this time.

Though Cook's request for a top-tier running back contract isn’t on the table for now, Beane stated that this doesn't rule out future discussions. "Just because we don’t have James signed today doesn’t mean we can’t work something out next year before he hits free agency," Beane said.

As of now, with negotiations stalled, Cook's next move is to play through the final year of his contract and continue to prove his worth, potentially re-entering talks with the team next offseason.