NFL
James Cook Next Contract: Bills RB Demands To Be Among Highest-Paid Running Backs
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Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is due for a new contract following the 2025 NFL season. Last week, Cook pinned a post to his Instagram account demanding $15 million per year, which would instantly make him one of the league’s highest-paid running backs. If Buffalo decides that it is unwilling to re-sign Cook, he could become a trade candidate during the offseason.
Why Cook Might Be Unwilling To Take A Pay Cut
Cook is fresh off of the best season of his young NFL career.
Cook rushed for over 1,000 yards for the second straight season and added a career-best 18 total touchdowns, including 16 rushing TDs, also a career-high. His breakout campaign helped lead the Bills to an impressive 13-4 overall record, so it’s no surprise that the 25-year-old wants to get paid for his performance.
Next season will be a contract year for Cook and don’t look for the Bills’ RB1 to take a pay cut. His rookie deal expires in 2025 and will pay him only $5,265, good for the 12th highest-paid running back in the NFL.
Over the course of his rookie contract, Cook earned an average of just $1,458,014 per year, which would be good for 34th in the NFL in terms of average salary among running backs this season.
Highest-Paid NFL Running Backs
Let’s take a look at the highest-paid NFL running backs headed into the offseason and where Cook’s $15 million per year demand stacks up.
Player
Team
Average Salary
Christian McCaffrey
SF
$19,000,000
Jonathan Taylor
IND
$14,000,000
Saquon Barkley
PHI
$12,583,333
Alvin Kamara
NO
$12,250,000
Josh Jacobs
GB
$12,000,000
James Conner
ARI
$9,500,000
David Montgomery
DET
$9,125,000
Rhamondre Stevenson
NE
$9,000,000
Joe Mixon
HOU
$8,500,000
Chuba Hubbard
CAR
$8,300,000
Cook’s salary demands for his next contract would instantly make him the second-highest paid running back in the NFL, ahead of superstars like Jonathan Taylor and Saquon Barkley. Christian McCaffrey is the league’s highest-paid running back, earning $19 million per season on average. No other NFL running back earns $15 million per year.
Will The Bills Pay Cook $15 Million Per Year?
Luckily, Barkley’s performance last season has helped running backs regain some of the value they’ve lost in contract negotiations over the past few seasons.
However, it’s hard to see the Bills forking up that kind of cash at a position that is no longer considered a premium in the NFL.
Last season, Buffalo spent just $3.7 million on the RB spot, which included rookie Ray Davis, Ty Johnson, and Cook. That figure ranked 25th in the NFL. That number was actually up from $3 million total in the year prior.
