{"id":185710,"date":"2025-07-06T11:23:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T11:23:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/185710\/"},"modified":"2025-07-06T11:23:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T11:23:12","slug":"report-not-a-lot-of-progress-in-james-cook-contract-talks-trade-possible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/185710\/","title":{"rendered":"REPORT: “Not A Lot of Progress” In James Cook Contract Talks, Trade Possible"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is still holding out for a new contract, but the two sides have reportedly not made much progress on a new deal. A second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft<\/a>, the Georgia product is coming off a remarkable season, recording 1,009 rushing yards and a league-best 16 touchdowns while adding another 32 receptions for 258 yards and two scores through the air. Now entering the final year of his deal, the two-time Pro Bowler is looking for a contract that will make him one of the league\u2019s highest-paid running backs.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately for both sides, that doesn\u2019t seem likely. According to ESPN\u2019s Jeremy Fowler, the two sides have not made progress on an extension, although he holds out hope that the team could figure something out down the line.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still think the door is open,\u201d Fowler said<\/a>. \u201cLast I checked, there wasn\u2019t a lot of progress, but there was still some optimism in the big picture that maybe they could figure something out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JamesJun 11, 2025; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. (20) works out with running back James Cook (4) during Minicamp at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
\nJames Cook, Bills Not Making Progress In Contract Talks<\/p>\n

Reading between the lines, Fowler seems to be implying that the Bills won\u2019t extend James Cook, but they could give him a revised contract that pays him more in 2025. This makes the most sense, as Cook is a good running back, but he\u2019s not a superstar.<\/p>\n

There are more starting-caliber running backs in the league than there are starting positions, so chances are, a team will not give up a draft pick for the right to sign James Cook to a massive contract. However, if talks go south with the Bills, perhaps one of the following teams could make a move for the Georgia product.<\/p>\n

Possible Fits
\nChicago Bears<\/p>\n

Somehow, D\u2019Andre Swift has survived the offseason and remains the top option in Ben Johnson\u2019s offense. Johnson never got the most out of Swift during their time together in Detroit, and Swift\u2019s disappointing first season in Chicago means he probably won\u2019t be the running back of the future. While the Bears missed on their preferred running backs in the NFL Draft, they could trade for James Cook and give him the contract he desires. With a rebuilt offensive line<\/a>, strong running game, and multiple talented pass-catchers, Caleb Johnson will not have an excuse to fail<\/a> in 2025.<\/p>\n

New Orleans Saints<\/p>\n

The New Orleans Saints are entering a long-overdue rebuild and probably shouldn\u2019t invest too many resources into the running back position. However, first-year head coach Kellen Moore<\/a> loves running backs, and General Manager Mickey Loomis isn\u2019t known for his long-term outlook. Alvin Kamara isn\u2019t getting any younger, and James Cook could be the heir apparent to his throne.<\/p>\n

Kansas City Chiefs<\/p>\n

Would the Buffalo Bills ever trade James Cook to their fiercest conference rival? Probably not, but the fit is too good to ignore. Isiah Pacheco is nothing special<\/a>, and James Cook could give this team a much-needed upgrade in the backfield. With Kansas City\u2019s offense evolving into a more conservative attack, finding a powerful runner like Cook with better vision than Pacheco could help win some close games.<\/p>\n

Main Photo: Mark J. Rebilas \u2013 Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is still holding out for a new contract, but the two sides…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":185711,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2048],"tags":[215,214,53,2090,2086,741,5404,7,3027,6,6211],"class_list":{"0":"post-185710","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-buffalo-bills","8":"tag-bills","9":"tag-buffalo","10":"tag-buffalo-bills","11":"tag-buffalo-bills-news","12":"tag-buffalobills","13":"tag-chicago-bears-news","14":"tag-chiefs-featured","15":"tag-football","16":"tag-james-cook","17":"tag-nfl","18":"tag-saints-featured"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114806037279305355","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185710","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=185710"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185710\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}