"Hiding out for more money": NFL fans outraged as James Cook skips Bills OTAs amidst contract extension holdout

The situation between James Cook and the Buffalo Bills does not appear to be getting any better. The running back, who's now in the final year of his rookie deal, did not report to the OTAs on Tuesday, adding pressure on the team to give him a new contract.

The biggest offseason contract news for running backs came from the Philadelphia Eagles, who signed Saquon Barkley to a two-year extension after their Super Bowl win. Cook is looking for improved terms on his second deal, but the Bills are unlikely to budge on their pursuit.

NFL fans, however, did not enjoy the running back's decision to be absent from the offseason program. With a crucial season coming for the Bills, missing time during the offseason sparked outrage among fans.

"These guys hiding out for more money. Jeez," wrote one fan.

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"Who’s going to be the one to tell him he’s not Barkley?" said a second one.

"Seeks a new contract”. Wonder where he’s gonna find it," a third fan wrote.

Some fans said that he wouldn't receive a $15 million contract.

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Cook's wish for his new contract has already been made public by the running back. In an Instagram live after the 2024 season, he pinned a comment that said "15 mill", indicating how much he wanted to earn per year on his extension.

Even though Barkley reset the market for running backs, Buffalo is unlikely to offer him this kind of money. The franchise signed Josh Allen to a contract extension worth $55 million in March. With Ray Davis on the roster, the team will look for cheaper options to run the football.

Can the Bills activate the fifth-year option for James Cook?

Buffalo cannot add another year for the running back as James Cook was a second-round pick. According to the collective bargaining agreement signed in 2020, the fifth-year option is only available for players selected in the draft's first round.

The Bills' best option to keep him on the roster after the 2025 season, provided he does not sign an extension, is to use the franchise tag.

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

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Edited by Ribin Peter