What Should the Bills do with James Cook?

August 5, 2025

Plain and simple, I'm frustrated with this. We knew it was coming but damn it's frustrating. Every year we are having key players out due to injury, and it always feels like we're one piece away and the bad luck hits harder with those missing pieces.

While part of me wants to say, “just pay the man,” so we can have the most complete team on the field, we're drama free this season and we can focus on finally getting that Superbowl trophy. That said, the logical side of my brain can’t help but take a step back and look at this from all angles and wonder if there's a better path.

Don’t get me wrong—Cook is a weapon. The speed, the explosiveness, the chemistry with Josh Allen… it’s all real. But $15 million? That’s top-3 running back money, that's Derrick Henry money, that's defensives having to figure out how they are going to stop him money, that's playing every down money. When you start comparing snap counts and roles across the league, it gets harder to justify.

Let's also consider, the shelf life of a running back in this league, even top tier running backs is not very long. There's a cliff that nearly all fall from and then they're a shell of what they used to be.

So what are the Bills’ options here?

Option 1: Pay Him What He Wants

This would make Cook happy, keep continuity in the offense, and send a message that we take care of our guys. But here’s the catch — if we give him the same money as Derrick Henry or Christian McCaffrey, are we actually getting that kind of usage?

He’s averaging less than 30 snaps a game. He’s not a consistent third-down back. As dynamic as he is, he’s not the guy defenses are game-planning around the way they are for CMC or Saquon. That’s just being real. It's also sending a message to other players that selfish behavior gets rewarded. It no doubt creates frustrations with other players who took less so he could get overpaid.

Option 2: Negotiate a Lower Deal

Something like $8–10 million per year, maybe with incentives built in for touches, snaps, or touchdowns. This seems like a fair middle ground, but the question is whether Cook’s camp is willing to budge. If he’s dead set on 15, this could be a tough sell. Personally, I don't see this one happening.

Still, this option keeps him in Buffalo and sends the message that we value him without overpaying.

Option 3: Play Hardball / Let Him Hold Out

Cook is still under contract for 2025, so he doesn’t have a ton of leverage right now. He could hold out of training camp or games, but that won’t get him to free agency any faster.

The risk here is the distraction. This team is built to win now. Do we want to deal with the drama of a holdout during a Super Bowl window?

If Cook holds out:

He forfeits his daily salary (if training camp or games are missed).
He can be fined:
- $50,000 per day for missing training camp (for veterans on a second contract).
- Additional fines for missing mandatory minicamps or preseason games.
He doesn’t earn game checks if he holds out into the regular season.

Option 4: Trade Him

This one hurts. But if talks go nowhere and Cook refuses to show up, the team might explore a trade. Maybe a Day 2 or Day 3 pick, maybe a player-for-player deal.

It’s not ideal, but it’s better than letting a standoff linger and rot from the inside. That said, Trey Hendrickson is still not signed past 2025. Micah Parsons is clearly unhappy. I can't imagine the Bills and Bengals trading directly but maybe getting exotic and doing a 3-way trade here is a good option. Maybe we target Parsons. Either way, there's options that can help us now and down the road. Very good running backs are easier to replace.

Option 5: Let Him Play Out 2025

No extension. No trade. Let him ball out this year and revisit everything in 2026.

It’s the lowest-commitment option, but also carries the most risk. If he explodes statistically, his price goes even higher. If he struggles or gets hurt, his value crashes. And if there’s tension all season, it could affect chemistry.

It's not ideal, but if we do lose him, we would have the consolation prize of more compensatory pick capital.

Option 6: Franchise Tag in 2026

Tagging him keeps him in Buffalo for one more year (likely around $12–13M), but RBs hate the tag. It’s a short-shelf-life position, and most of them want long-term security, not a year-to-year rental deal.

Could it work? Yes. But be ready for serious backlash. Not only that, but if we intend to sign him after the franchise, if he has another good season, we're paying even more.

Option 7: Sign-and-Trade

This is the NFL version of threading a needle. The Bills would sign him to a deal he wants and trade him immediately to a team that’s willing to pay. Hard to pull off, but not impossible if there's a suitor out there.

One Other Thought…

Could we build a one-year, $8–10M “prove it” deal full of incentives that let him earn his way to $15M?

That would give him a chance to cash in if he hits certain marks (snap count, receptions, TDs), and the team avoids overpaying if he doesn’t take the next step.

So... What Do I Want? Well, there's 2 things:

Option 1: As a fan? I want Cook to stay. I want him happy. But not at the expense of cap flexibility or team-building. We already have stars to pay (Allen, Diggs, Rousseau soon), and overpaying for a back that’s still finding his ceiling feels dangerous. I hope there’s a middle ground. Something that keeps #4 in a Bills uniform… but keeps the front office smart enough to stay in championship mode long-term.
Option 2: If there's good value here and a trade partner or two that won't rake us over the coals but help us fill a more important need, then, let's trade him, get a key defensive piece and we can add to the running back room next year in the draft or in free agency, or both.

What do you think the Bills should do?