Bills Could Part Ways With James Cook In New Trade Proposal

With less than five weeks until the regular season, the Buffalo Bills have a problem on their hands. Running back James Cook is entering the final year of his contract and wants a long-term extension.

Bills’ James Cook Looking For New Deal

Cook has been good about not causing too much drama with his desire for a new deal. The 25-year-old running back arrived at training camp on time and participated. However, things changed on Sunday. Cook has now decided to stop practicing on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday. If this holdout continues, it could force the Bills to either give him a new deal or trade him.

Last week, another big-time player looking for a contract asked to be traded. Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons has been seeking a new deal for almost two years now. The Cowboys haven’t given in to Parsons’ demands, so he wants out.

It’s going to be a long shot for Parsons to be traded since superstars like him are often traded. Dallas is good at letting their players get frustrated over contract talks. Last year, Dallas didn’t extend receiver CeeDee Lamb until August. They also didn’t give a new contract to quarterback Dak Prescott until the first week of the regular season.

There is an excellent chance Parsons will get his deal done soon, but Cook likely won’t. Cook has a better chance of being dealt by Week 1.

Cook Could Be Traded To Dallas

John Buhler from Fansided thinks the Bills could trade Cook to the Cowboys for a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick.

“Rumor has it that Cook wants Jonathan Taylor money. The Indianapolis Colts’ star running back has a cap hit of over $15 million. Cook stands to be a $5.7 million cap hit for the 2025 NFL season. Since he is in the final year of his rookie contract out of Georgia, an immediate extension shall be necessary to make a deal happen. By trading to future day-two picks, $12 million in assets goes the Bills’ way here,” Buhler wrote. “It should be noted that Dianna Russini of The Athletic does not think the Bills and Cook are that far off. I do not expect a deal to manifest, but it just goes to show how easily a star like Cook can be moved.”

“If the Cowboys are going to do much of anything this season, it starts and ends with their offense being balanced and the entire team playing complementary football. I would argue that the team’s biggest strength is its passing game. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are known commodities. Adding a motivated George Pickens into the equation certainly intrigues me,” Buhler added.

The Cowboys’ offense would be impressive with Cook in it. Dallas needs to add a star running back to the roster, and Cook would solve a lot of their issues.

It doesn’t seem like Cook will be traded to the Cowboys unless Parsons is coming back in the deal. The Bills still have some time to get a deal done before the season. Now it’s up for both parties to come to some agreement.