The Buffalo Bills reached the AFC Championship Game following the 2024 regular season, and while MVP Josh Allen has received most of the spotlight, James Cook was a huge part of the team’s success, tying for a league-high 16 rushing touchdowns.
However, Cook is in the final year of his rookie contract and is seeking a staggering $15 million salary in his new contract, which could make him the second highest-paid running back in the NFL after Christian McCaffrey.
James Cook Demands $15 Million Contract From Bills
Cook is projected to make $5,620,374 in the final year of his rookie contract with the Bills. On Instagram Live, Cook pinned a comment saying, “15 mill year,” signaling his asking price for his next contract.
The bills’ lead tailback doubled down on his demand during a recent appearance on “Nightcap,” arguing that he deserved what he had asked for.
“I just feel like we’re deserving of it. Like, why not? We work all of our life to get paid. Feed me the big bucks,” Cook said. “I want to go chase the highest of the highest, and I’m going to keep doing it.”
“I’m going to stand on what I stand on. And I don’t want to feel like a cancer at all. Because I don’t like all that attention and all that. That’s not me, honestly. I’m just standing on business and what I deserve. That’s it. What I deserve.”
“I just want to get what I deserve. That’s all. I just want to get what I ask for,” he added.
While running backs have struggled to earn large contracts over the last decade, things have shifted slightly in recent years, and Cook could be the next running back to cash in on a new contract. Christian McCaffrey has the highest AAV of any running back at $19 million, and Jonathan Taylor is the second highest-paid running back with a salary of $14 million per year.
Given the season Cook had in 2024, where he racked up nearly 1,300 yards from scrimmage and was Allen’s top offensive weapon, he is sure to get a hefty contract. Furthermore, Cook is predicted to run for over 1,500 yards next season, and if the prediction comes true, it won’t be a surprise if he indeed does become the second highest-paid running back in the league.
Cook Predicted To Run for 1,500 Yards in 2025
In PFSN’s latest bold predictions for the 2025 season by Kyle Soppe, Cook is predicted to join O.J. Simpson as the only two Bills to run for 1,500 yards in a season. Here’s what Soppe writes:
“Josh Allen’s development was impressive this season as he took care of the ball at a level that we weren’t sure he’d ever reach, but don’t allow his MVP-caliber season to take away from what his star running back was doing to support him.
“Over his last six games with Allen (excluding Week 18, when Allen took a single snap to extend his starts streak), Cook averaged 3.57 yards per carry after first contact. For reference, Derrick Henry averaged 3.50 this season and Josh Jacobs guided the Packers by plowing ahead for 3.45 yards per carry after contact.
“That number represented a 14.1% growth for Cook over the first 14 weeks of 2024 and 33.2% from his 2023 rate. We know he is dangerous in space and, thanks in part to the attention Allen commands and the single-defender situations Cook is consequently afforded, he has proven himself as nothing short of elite when hitting the hole.
“The Bills boasted a top-five offensive line in 2024 according to OL+, making 2025 a perfect spot for a further breakout. Cook benefits from playing nine games next year against defenses that ranked no better than 25th against RBs in either yards allowed before or after contact per carry in 2024, making this more of a prediction of volume than anything.
“Cook will likely need to average 17-20 carries per game to hit this number, and that might be a little optimistic, though he did carry the ball 17.7 times per game during the postseason.
“I think there’s a chance that usage continues after Allen posted the worst first-down passing season of his career (61.4% completion rate and an 87.0 passer rating, both more than 8% below his career rates), thus making him a threat to join Simpson at the peak of rushing in Upstate New York.”