The Buffalo Payments have reached an settlement with operating again James Cook dinner on a four-year contract extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The deal has a base worth of $48M with $30M in assured cash, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Cook dinner’s $12M APY is the sixth-highest amongst NFL operating backs, and his ensures path solely Saquon Barkley and Ashton Jeanty. He’ll now be beneath contract in Buffalo by the 2029 season.
The Payments had been attempting to increase Cook dinner for many of the offseason. He publicly demanded $15M per year, and negotiations stalled within the spring. The 2 sides seemed to be making progress on a number of events, together with when Cook showed up for mandatory minicamp and took the field at the start of training camp.
Nonetheless, Cook stopped practicing in early August, citing “enterprise” as the explanation and elevating doubt {that a} deal would get completed earlier than Week 1. He returned to the field on Tuesday, a transparent sign that he and the group had been near an settlement. Certainly, Payments common supervisor Brandon Beane confirmed that Cook dinner ending his ‘hold-in’ was a present of fine religion that helped get either side again to the negotiating desk.
“As soon as we obtained him again on the observe discipline, we actually labored laborious,” added Beane (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg).
Cook dinner, who turns 26 years outdated in late September, was drafted by the Payments with the 63rd total choose within the 2022 draft. He spent his rookie yr enjoying second fiddle to veteran Devin Singletary, however took over the beginning job in 2023 together with his first thousand-yard season, plus one other 445 yards by the air to succeed in 1,567 yards from scrimmage on the yr. Final yr, he noticed a slight downtick in each dashing makes an attempt and receiving targets as a part of an total discount in enjoying time.
Beane said that the Bills still believe that Cook is “a three-down type player” despite playing just 48% of the team’s offensive snaps last year, down from 55% the year prior.
“We think he could take more, but we also want to use our other weapons and keep him as fresh as possible,” continued Beane. “We think that’s the best utilization of him.”
Keeping Cook fresh in 2024 allowed him to rank sixth among running backs in yards per carry last season. He also tied Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns.
Cook’s agent, Zac Hiller of LAA Sports & Entertainment, released a statement on his client’s behalf: “James could only envision himself as a Buffalo Bill. We are extremely thankful to the entire Bills organization and glad we could make that happen.”
Cook is now the sixth Bills player to sign a multiyear extension this offseason, capping off an impressive string of signings for Beane and his front office. They made several tough decisions by cutting long-tenured veterans last offseason to free up cash and cap space to get their young core under contract. With that mission accomplished, the Bills will spend the next few seasons trying to get over the hump and finally bring a Super Bowl to Buffalo.
