{"id":119777,"date":"2025-06-10T22:24:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T22:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/119777\/"},"modified":"2025-06-10T22:24:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T22:24:10","slug":"james-cook-tackles-tough-contract-questions-from-bills-beat-reporters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/119777\/","title":{"rendered":"James Cook tackles tough contract questions from Bills beat reporters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fresh off his first day as a full participant at mandatory minicamp with the Buffalo Bills<\/a>, running back James Cook took a seat in front of the microphone \u2014 ready to face the barrage of difficult questions from members of the media. Cook is a man of few words, ones often carefully guarded and selected so that he\u2019s not misunderstood. <\/p>\n

During the seven minutes and change with Cook at the mic, a frustrated canvas of emotions seemed to reveal itself. Always level-headed in conversation, Cook did let his guard down a couple times when it came to conversations about training camp and teammates from his draft class who received new deals this past offseason.<\/p>\n

While a good bit of coverage will seek to further stir up drama either through spicy headlines or wild opinion pieces about Cook these next few months, what follows below is simply a tense conversation between the media and a young man looking for answers, presented without embellishment as transcribed by yours truly. <\/p>\n

You can watch Cook\u2019s presser in full at the via the embedded video at the bottom of this article.<\/p>\n

Josh Reed: \u201cJames, what\u2019s this whole process been like for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cI\u2019ve been good. I mean, just working out and just continuing to keep doing what I\u2019ve been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reed: \u201cDid you feel like it was a must that you had to be here \u2014 I mean, obviously it is mandatory. But, why did you decide to come?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cUm, I like my money. You know, I do. Definitely do. So that\u2019s why I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thad Brown: \u201cWhy did you, back in February why did you take it public with the internet, asking for the money? Did you feel you needed to make that public?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cUh… no. Um, it\u2019s just something that I did, and, I, I, (shrugging shoulders)… something I did. I don\u2019t know why I did it.<\/p>\n

Brown: \u201cIt was (part of) a strategy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cNah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maddy Glab: \u201cJames, what do you hope to get our of mandatory minicamp?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cJust to get better, and just to be around the guys \u2014 feels good to be around them \u2014 and just… keep playing football.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alaina Getzenberg: \u201cJames you didn\u2019t have to participate today, necessarily. Why did you decide to fully participate?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cI mean, why not? I\u2019m here. I\u2019m part of the team. And, just not practicing… would \u2014 I\u2019m a leader, so just gotta practice and get the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vic Carucci: \u201cDo plan to fully participate in training camp as well, James?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cUm, yeah. Um, it\u2019s my team and in order for us to win a Super Bowl<\/a> or compete for a Super Bowl, and have a winning season \u2014 have to be out there, and be out there with my teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sal Capaccio: \u201cJames, what\u2019s been your communication with Sean McDermott [and] Brandon Beane throughout the offseason \u2014 have you talked with them regularly, or not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cYeah. We\u2019ve been good. Great communication… and whatever we talked about we talked about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josh Reed: \u201cAre you optimistic that something will get done?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cUm… at this moment I\u2019m just gonna keep working hard and let God take control, and keep doing what I do.\u201d <\/p>\n

Tim Graham: \u201cJames, why is it important for running backs, maybe more than other position, to make sure you get what you\u2019re worth?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201c\u2018Cause we do a lot and I think we should be valued as that, and all the hard work that we put in on the ground, pass blocking, all those type of things. And, you know, I think we should be valued more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Graham: \u201cWhat about the aspect of the shorter career than you have at other positions (more lost audio) and that aspect?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cI don\u2019t look at it like that, I just feel like if you take care of your body and do all the things that you need to do right, and just be who you with and everything\u2019ll be alright, the way I see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Wawrow: \u201cHow do you balance, and having \u2014 knowing the business side and knowing the personal side \u2014 are there any hard feelings against the Bills or, you know, how much do you know that this is just business?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cUm, everything is business. So, ain\u2019t no hard feelings. I don\u2019t ever have beef with nobody. Like I said, everything\u2019s gonna work out how it\u2019s supposed to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sal Maiorana: \u201cJames, do you feel that one of your goals this year has to be getting your snap counts higher \u2014 I think it was 45% last year \u2014 do you feel you need to be on the field more this season?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cI mean, of course. You know, I don\u2019t look at the whole snap-count percentage and what I \u2014 how long [I\u2019m] on the field, how much [I\u2019m] on the field. I just know when I\u2019m on the field, I\u2019m gonna make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay Skurski: \u201cA few of the other guys in your draft class got signed by the Bills this offseason. When that happens, does that create more urgency, or does that maybe lead you to maybe go a little bit more public when you see other guys who\u2019ve been paid?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cI don\u2019t know. I love those guys. Whatever they got paid, they got paid, um, that\u2019s not my problem. I mean, why would I get mad at something they got \u2014 I\u2019m happy for them, actually. So, however it gets done with this deal or whatever, however y\u2019all wanna say, it\u2019ll get done. But, in the meantime I\u2019m here to work and be where my feet is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getzenberg: \u201cIs the goal still to be here long term?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cOf course. You know, my goal is to win the Super Bowl \u2014 the same thing, like I said. And however things get worked out, [they] get worked out at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glab: \u201cJames, what\u2019s the story behind adding the \u20183,\u2019 \u2018the third\u2019 to your last name on your jersey this year?<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cOh, \u2018cause I\u2019m the third: James Cook the third.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glab: \u201cWhy did you wanna do it this season?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201c[I was] supposed to do it [before] but I had to get, like, documents and I [had it] in college, so I just wanted to get it, and it represents my family, I mean, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Graham: \u201cJust to clarify regarding training camp: You say you\u2019re gonna be here. Is there any possibility of a what they call \u2018hold out\u2019 \u2014 you know where you\u2019re here and you don\u2019t practice, or once you\u2019re here, are you participating?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cI don\u2019t know man. We should see when camp comes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay Skurski: \u201cDid your brother give you any advice? I mean, he saw a lot through his career, in terms of navigating this situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cYeah, of course. Just \u2018everything\u2019s gonna work out how it\u2019s supposed to work out,\u2019 just like I said. And, however it gets done, it gets done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt Parrino: \u201cDo you feel \u2014 from a personal standpoint \u2014 do you feel like with this [looming] over you, it could be a distraction to you personally at all this season?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cUm, I don\u2019t look at it like that. I just be where my feet is every day, and just want to play football, and that\u2019s what I\u2019m here to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carucci: \u201cIs the process like, in terms of your agent working with the team, to just keep a line of communication open? And, in your mind, sometimes players will say that if something doesn\u2019t happen by a certain date, cut it off. Right? \u2018Cause you don\u2019t want to have a distraction that way. How are you looking at it \u2014 is it an ongoing thing or…?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cNo, I just, I live my day like a normal person, and keep continuing to do what [I\u2019ve been] doing. Like I said, which is work, work hard, work out, and I\u2019m here so \u2014 being where my feet is right now, and just keep putting the work in with the guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Graham: [Something along the lines of asking about enjoying this process because he\u2019s fighting for what he deserves.]<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cI mean, of course. Other people might think otherwise but yeah, like you said: I\u2019m here to work hard, and however it takes care of itself, it\u2019ll take care of itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glab: \u201cWhat excites you for this season?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook: \u201cJust… new team, new staff, um just excited to see how everything unfolds. And, like I said, hopefully we win the Super Bowl, and take it further than what we did last year.\u201d<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fresh off his first day as a full participant at mandatory minicamp with the Buffalo Bills, running back…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":119778,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2026],"tags":[16122,215,214,2090,4092,6125,7,1134,29,469,3759,29271,1621,12863,9433,3848],"class_list":{"0":"post-119777","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-beat","9":"tag-bills","10":"tag-buffalo","11":"tag-buffalo-bills-news","12":"tag-contract","13":"tag-cook","14":"tag-football","15":"tag-from","16":"tag-front-page","17":"tag-james","18":"tag-questions","19":"tag-reporters","20":"tag-rumblings","21":"tag-tackles","22":"tag-tough","23":"tag-videos"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114661416278845936","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119777"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119777\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}