James Cook could be headed for a standoff with the Bills. After playing well in his first three seasons, he’s ready to be paid.
“15 mill year”, Cook wrote on Instagram on Wednesday. That would make him the 2nd-highest paid running back in the league, behind Christian McCaffrey.
Cook has played well in his first three seasons, particularly last year, when Buffalo went to more of a run-oriented offense. He came up with a big fourth-down touchdown in the AFC Championship game against Kansas City (on a play where a lot of backs would have been stopped short).
Cook has averaged 4.9 yards per carry as a pro thus far. In the 32-team era (since 2002), 74 other running backs have carried the ball at least 500 times in their first three seasons. Only four averaged more yards per attempt than Cook: Nick Chubb, Jonathan Taylor, DeAngelo Williams and Chris Johnson.
| YARDS PER CARRY IN FIRST THREE SEASONS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Player | G | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
| 2018-20 | Nick Chubb, Cle. | 44 | 680 | 3,557 | 5.23 | 28 |
| 2020-22 | Jonathan Taylor, Ind. | 43 | 756 | 3,841 | 5.08 | 33 |
| 2006-08 | DeAngelo Williams, Car. | 45 | 538 | 2,733 | 5.08 | 23 |
| 2008-10 | Chris Johnson, Ten. | 47 | 925 | 4,598 | 4.97 | 34 |
| 2022-24 | James Cook, Buff. | 49 | 533 | 2,638 | 4.95 | 20 |
| 2011-13 | DeMarco Murray, Dall. | 37 | 542 | 2,681 | 4.95 | 15 |
| 2007-09 | Adrian Peterson, Min. | 46 | 915 | 4,484 | 4.90 | 40 |
| 2002-04 | Jamal Lewis, Balt. | 32 | 695 | 3,393 | 4.88 | 20 |
| 2002-04 | Clinton Portis, Den.-Wa. | 44 | 906 | 4,414 | 4.87 | 34 |
| 2005-07 | Frank Gore, S.F. | 45 | 699 | 3,405 | 4.87 | 16 |
| 2002-04 | LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D. | 32 | 685 | 3,328 | 4.86 | 27 |
| 2006-08 | Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac. | 47 | 530 | 2,533 | 4.78 | 34 |
Statistics compiled using search tools at Pro-Football-Reference.com
It’s a good time for running backs to be asking for more money, after free agents Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry and Aaron Jones all had big seasons. They all outperformed the contracts they signed, perhaps altering the narrative that it’s best not to spend on the position.
After playing three seasons, Cook is now eligible for an extension, and he wants to be paid. That puts him in the same position that Taylor and the Colts were in entering the 2023. That one turned ugly, with Taylor not stepping on the field until October.
Cook’s problem is that while he’s in the prime of his career, he’s not a free agent. He’s got a year left on his slotted rookie contract. And when 2026 rolls around, the Bills could potentially tie him down with the franchise tag.
Buffalo also has the leverage of other options at the position. Ray Davis and Ty Johnson both made some big plays as both runners and pass catchers. When Cook missed a Monday night game against the Jets, Davis put up 152 combined yards.
With the tools the Bills have at their disposal, they won’t be paying Cook anything close to $15 million per year. If he’s not comfortable settling for a good amount less than what he would command on the open market, they could be headed for a Taylor-type contract dispute.
—Ian Allan