James Cook puts his house in Buffalo up for sale as contract talks stall with Bills

After failing to woo the Bills for a $15 million/ year contract extension, James Cook reportedly listed his house in Buffalo for sale.

James Cook puts his house in Buffalo up for sale as contract talks stall with Bills

James Cook puts his house in Buffalo for sale (Image via IMAGO)

James Cook saw several Buffalo Bills teammates, Greg Rousseau, Khail Shakir, and Christian Benford, signing multimillion-dollar contract extensions to stay in Orchard Park. The pacey running back, on the other hand, received only promises of a new deal until the organization completely stopped communicating with him.

During the recent NFL league meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, reporters asked the Bills general manager, Brandon Beane, to provide an update on James Cook. Beane revealed that the Bills offered him a contract, but unlike the others, Cook played hardball.

[James Cook’s representatives] and he did put it out there that we did talk, so I’m not sharing anything new. It didn’t lead to anything as far as closing in on a deal, so we moved onto the guys that we were more on the same page with.

Brandon Beane said

Cook is set to enter his fourth year in the NFL. His performances during the previous two seasons forced everyone to take notice of his skills. Cook recorded 400+ rushes for 2100+ yards and 18 rushing touchdowns along with 75+ receptions for 700+ yards and 7 touchdowns.

Why haven’t the Bills paid James Cook?

After staying stale for a very long time, the running back experienced a massive surge when the Eagles awarded Saquon Barkley a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension that includes $36 million guaranteed and up to $15 million more in incentives.

RB James Cook puts his house in Buffalo up for sale as contract talks stall with Bills
James Cook (Image via IMAGO)

Even though Cook is still on his rookie NFL contract, the 2x Pro Bowler asked the Bills to compensate him accordingly.

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.

James Cook said

Cook reportedly demanded a $15 million per year contract from the Bills. Even though the RBs are finally earning some decent money, NFL teams remain reluctant to pay a player whom they can easily replace with a cheaper alternative.

At this point, we’re on to the draft, once we got [Christian] Benford done. I don’t see us doing any deals anytime soon. We’re going to focus on the draft and getting our [salary] cap in order.

Brandon Beane said

Cook sends warning to Bills by listing his Buffalo house for sale

With a contract extension no longer imminent, the former second-rounder took a drastic step to gain some leverage over the Bills. According to Huntrealestate.com’s website, James Cook’s 2090-square-foot house on Orchard Park is up for grabs. The Buyers has to pay $710,000 for the property that includes three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a couple of half baths.

This beautiful home sits on a half acre lot featuring a great size backyard with a beautiful covered patio with tile floors & hot tub. Vinyl siding & metal roof allow for maintenance free living.

The website claimed Cook’s “home truly has it all!”

Now it’s unclear the reason behind Cook’s sudden need to sell his house. From football’s perspective, he might end up asking for a trade if the Bills don’t meet his contract demands. On the other hand, Cook might simply be looking for a larger house because he’s bound to get a big paycheck.

I want James here… Just because we aren’t on the same page today doesn’t mean we won’t be tomorrow… at the end of the day your team has to fit whatever player within your confines and pay attention to the market.

Brandon Beane added

If the Bills do come around and give Cook what he wants, then he will become the third-highest-earning running back in the NFL. Barkley currently leads the pack with $20.1 million per year, followed by San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey with $19 million per year.