The awkwardness can come to an end at Bills camp.
Buffalo and star running back James Cook agreed to a four-year, $48 million deal with $30 million guaranteed, NFL Network reported Wednesday morning.
It puts an end to a strange hold-in situation for the 25-year-old as he pushed to be paid like one of the league’s top backs.
“James could only envision himself as a Buffalo Bill,” said agent Zac Hiller of LAA, according to Adam Schefter. “We are extremely thankful to the entire Bills organization and glad we could make that happen.”
Cook practiced with the team at the start of camp but then stopped on Aug. 3, citing “business” reasons.
Bills coach Sean McDermott said last week he expected Cook to return to practice — except he didn’t.
Cook then appeared in uniform during warmups for the team’s preseason opener against the Giants, which is unusual for a player with no intention of actually playing.
The situation appeared to turn on Tuesday, when Cook did actually return to practice.
“I would say so that things have changed,” McDermott told reporters.
“And yes, we have had conversations with James. Good conversations, as I’ve mentioned before. The information that we’re getting is that he is moving in the direction of practicing today. We’ll see in a few minutes here, but that’s the information that we’ve got.”
Now the Bills, who have Super Bowl aspirations once again, have a crucial piece of their offense back, led by quarterback Josh Allen.
Cook had a breakout season in 2024 when he rushed for 16 touchdowns to complement a second straight 1,000-yard campaign.
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