James Cook makes intention clear on eying big payday in next Bills contract: “Feed me the big bucks!”
James Cook is seeking a contract which pays him $15 million per year from the Buffalo Bills.
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James Cook (Image via AP)
Apart from a reliable quarterback in Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills have a running back who lives up to his surname. James Cook did exactly what his surname means to the Bills’ opponents this season. This year, he had a 1,000-rushing yard season and scored the most rushing touchdowns, 16 compared to his peers.
As James Cook had the best season of his career, he now hopes to be compensated accordingly. As he enters the final year of his rookie contract with Buffalo, Cook stands to make a little over $5.5 million this year. However, a new deal would mean more money and a longer stay in Buffalo, a win-win for both sides.
James Cook expressed his intent to pressure the team to offer him a big deal this off-season on the Nightcap Show with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson. This comes days after Cook revealed the ideal number that would encourage him to stay in Buffalo on his Instagram Live.
I just feel like we’re deserving of it. Like, why not? We work all of our life to get paid. Feed me the big bucks. I want to go chase the highest of the highest, and I’m going to keep doing it. I’m gonna stand on what I stand on. I don’t want to feel like a cancer at all, because I don’t like that attention. That’s not me, honestly. I’m just standing on business, man, and what I deserve. That’s it. What I deserve.
James Cook shared
James Cook is seeking $15 million per year to stay in Buffalo
The running back wants to be up there alongside the likes of Christian McCaffery and Jonathan Taylor who make $19 million and $14 million per year respectively. Cook’s figure of $15 million per year would mean that he makes more than Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry who are coming off a 2,000-yard and 1,921-yard season respectively.
However, his expectations are ambitious. Hopefully, Cook is following the philosophy of ‘Aim for the moon, if you miss you may hit a star’ because Buffalo is unlikely to give in to his demands. This is because the Bills are the third-worst team in the NFL in terms of 2025 cap space.
With an effective cap space of -17,293,068 million this season, they will be focusing on cutting players and making other adjustments to free up space before the league year begins on March 12.
James Cook’s contributions to the Bills’ offense cannot be overlooked. Since the departure of Stefon Diggs, he has stepped up to the plate and proved to be reliable for the offense. Cook deserves to be paid but at best, he may end up with a contract that pays him between $10-12 million per year.
The running back has begun to set the foundation for contractual talks between him and the Bills to make sure he goes to the table with maximum leverage.
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Sumedh Joshi
(2337 Articles Published)