The Buffalo Bills appear to be one of the top Super Bowl contenders in the AFC heading into the upcoming 2025 NFL season. However, there are some major questions that the team will need to answer.
One of those questions has to do with the future of starting running back James Cook.
Throughout the course of the offseason, the Bills and Cook have been locked into a contract situation. Cook wants a new deal and an aggressive pay raise, while Buffalo has not seemed interested in giving him what he wants in a new deal.
Cook was a huge part of the team’s offense in 2024. He was an end zone threat and a playmaker on the ground to take pressure off of Josh Allen and the passing game.
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With the contract drama continuing, Cook did show up for mandatory minicamp. Brandon Beane, the Bills’ general manager, spoke out recently with a new update on Cook and the contract situation the two sides are facing.
“Our interactions with Jimbo have been good the whole time throughout,” Beane said. “I know he wasn’t here (earlier this offseason), so everyone just draws their own conclusions. When you’re talking about it, it’s voluntary. We know that, we’ve had (players miss) it before, even with players who weren’t lobbying for a new contract or anything like that.”
Basically, Beane does not seem too worried about the team’s current status with Cook. He didn’t touch on anything to do with potential progress with the running back, but he doesn’t see any major situations to worry about right now.
During the 2024 NFL season with Buffalo, Cook played in 16 games. He carried the football 207 times for 1,009 yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. In addition, he caught 32 passes for 258 yards and two more scores.
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At just 25 years old, Cook could be a long-term piece of the Bills’ core if the two parties can work out a new deal. It remains to be seen if they’ll be able to do that.
Hopefully, there will be no more drama between the two sides. Cook may leave next offseason if he doesn’t get a new deal from Buffalo, but he could still be a very important piece towards pursuing a championship in 2025.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds between the Bills and their star running back.
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