After struggling for years to establish a consistent running game to pair with quarterback Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills finally found a breakout star in running back James Cook.
But now the running back’s future with the team could be uncertain amid potentially troubling signs and cryptic hints on social media. Cook is heading into the final year of his rookie contract, but appears to be angling for a big new deal that could make him among the league’s top-paid running backs.
James Cook Scrubs Team From His Social Media
While the notoriously quiet Cook has not said anything publicly about his future with the team, some fans noticed potentially troubling signs in his social media presence. The running back unfollowed the Bills on Instagram and has removed nearly all photos that show him in the team’s jersey.
As SI.com’s Kilty Cleary noted, it appears to be a bargaining tactic as Cook seeks a new contract extension before the completion of his rookie deal.
“If there’s one person James Cook is likely getting advice from, it’s his older brother, Dalvin Cook, who has been through his fair share of contract disputes in the NFL,” Cleary wrote. “Dalvin has publicly advised his younger brother on handling negotiations, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s pushing James to play hardball with Buffalo.”
Cook may have a number in mind from the Bills. During an Instagram Live, he pinned his comment that said “15 mil,” hinting that he is seeking a deal worth $15 million annually. That would put Cook among the league’s top-paid running backs, just behind San Francisco 49ers star and MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey.
The Bills running back may have a difficult time getting that high number. Sportrac estimates his market value at $9 million per year, projecting he will sign a four-year extension.
James Cook’s Breakout Season
Though Cook crossed the 1,000-yard mark in the 2023 season — the first Bills running back to do so since LeSean McCoy — he had difficulty finding the endzone through his first two years in the league. At the completion of his second season, Cook had just four total rushing touchdowns.
That changed dramatically in 2024, with Cook tied for first place in the NFL with 16 touchdowns on the ground. He rushed for 1,009 yards and added another 32 receptions for 258 yards, earning his second straight Pro Bowl berth.
Cook earned some big praise from Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who said the third-year running back grew into one of the team’s most vocal leaders.
“He’s in our leadership council meetings in the morning. Then, just if you could have stood next to me and heard him in that game, the way he was, what he was saying to me and how he was talking to me, it was, even with the year he had, it was like he was on missile lock,” McDermott said, via SI.com. “To be his build and to play as physical as he did. He was in another, I don’t know if he was in flow state or he was just in another stratosphere of his intent. It was incredible.”
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