Bills' Dion Dawkins makes major demands after James Cook's $48,000,000 contract extension

The unpleasant scenario that had dominated the Buffalo Bills' training camp came to an end on Wednesday when running back James Cook agreed to a four-year, $48 million contract extension.

Before the agreement, Cook had been present at camp, participating in walkthroughs and meetings; however, before Tuesday's involvement, he had declined to work out with his teammates.

After Cook's contract was extended, his teammate and offensive tackle Dion Dawkins made a humorous request for "3 steak dinners and Breakfast with Crispy Edge pancakes" as part of his own compensation on social media. Dawkins, known for his humorous nature, used this amusing comment as a means of expressing his approval of the extension in his own special way.

In March, the Bills finalized a three-year contract deal with Dawkins, securing the left tackle's spot on the roster until 2027.

The 30-year-old Dawkins was selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft and has been the starting left tackle for the Bills ever since. Since then, he has been selected for three Pro Bowls and has established himself as a reliable player, starting 106 regular-season games and 11 playoff games.

As for Cook, he has been an important piece of the Bills' offense since he was selected in the second round of the 2022 draft out of Georgia. He has amassed over 1,000 yards in the league for two consecutive seasons, and in 2024, he tied for the league-high 16 rushing touchdowns.

Where does James Cook rank among the highest-paid RBs in the NFL?

With the Bills' four-year, $48 million contract agreement with James Cook, which also includes $30 million guaranteed money, the 25-year-old RB is now the sixth-highest paid player in his position based on average annual value.

In addition, he is currently the highest-paid rusher when overall contract value is taken into account, and the third-highest when guaranteed money is considered.

The NFL's top-paid running backs by AAV are listed below, according to OverTheCap.com:

1. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles - $20.6 million per year

2. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers - $19 million per year

3. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens - $15 million per year

4. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts - $14 million per year

5. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints - $12.25 million per year

6. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers - $12 million per year

7. James Cook, Buffalo Bills - $12 million per year

8. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams - $11 million per year

9. Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings - $10 million per year

10. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans - $9.875 million per year