James Cook’s Extension Is Already a Steal for the Buffalo Bills
On Aug. 13, 2025, James Cook signed a four-year, $48 million extension ($30 million guaranteed) with the Buffalo Bills. After just one season, that deal is already looking like a steal.
Cook easily could’ve made more money on the open market, but chose to return to Buffalo on a discount. Based on production alone, the 2025 rushing champion should easily be a top-five paid running back in the NFL. However, after the Breece Hall extension on May 8, Cook doesn’t even crack the top ten .
Cook now slots in as the 11th-highest-paid running back in the NFL in terms of annual salary. Production Outweighs the Cost An important thing to note is that Cook was tied for the sixth- highest-paid running back coming into the offseason. Even then, his extension was still a steal.
The players who surpassed his annual salary this offseason are Hall, Kenneth Walker III , Travis Etienne , and Jeremiyah Love . Walker III and Etienne are going to new teams, and Love hasn’t even played an NFL game yet. Long story short, none of these players should be making more money than James Cook.
If Cook waited until after last season to sign an extension, the price tag would’ve been way higher. In 2024, James Cook eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing and added a league-leading 16 touchdowns. Following that season, he “held in” and ultimately signed an extension .