Buffalo Bills running back James Cook had a season to remember in 2024, as he was a driving force behind the NFL's second-highest-scoring offense (30.9 p/g).
And now he wants to be paid handsomely for his services.
Cook totaled his second consecutive season of 1,000 rushing yards, plus he had a whopping 16 rushing touchdowns on the year, plus another three in the playoffs.
With Cook only 25 years old and entering the final year of his rookie contract, James is ready to go to the negotiating table with general manager Brandon Beane.
Oh, and he already has a figure in mind—a cool $15 million APY.
That would have Cook earning more than Saquon Barkley ($12 million), and only one other running back would make more than him, San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey ($19 million).
So the begs the question - what will Buffalo do?
Has Barkley's outstanding 2024 season made franchises realize how important a running back can be to an offense's success? Or will the running back graveyard from a couple of seasons ago still exist?
Now, this isn't a "is Cook worth $15 million a season" type of talk, but more so do the Bills believe they can stomach that salary while also competing for the Super Bowl.
Plus, given the depth of the running back class in the upcoming draft, it might be a plug-and-play type of deal with the Bills taking the Kansas City Chiefs approach to the position.
Either way, the offseason is looming big for the Bills and Cook. We know what the running back wants; now we will find out if Buffalo really wants to keep No. 4.
