"He's shooting high": NFL insider Dianna Russini dishes on James Cook's "bizarre" $15,000,000 contract demand amid standoff with Bills

Syndication: Democrat and Chronicle - Source: Imagn
NFL insider Dianna Russini dishes on James Cook's "bizarre" $15,000,000 contract demand amid standoff with Bills - Source: Imagn

NFL insider Dianni Russini has opened up about the contract standoff between the Buffalo Bills and star running back James Cook.

Ad

Cook is entering the final year of his rookie contract and has been holding out of practice and preseason games in search of a new deal. According to Russini, Cook's asking price is deemed high.

Ad
"Yeah, it's certainly not great. We saw Kyren Williams out of LA get paid around $11 million (per year). We know that James has said publicly that he thinks his worth is about $15 million," Russini said. "Credit to him, he's shooting high. He knows he's valuable to this offense, and we saw the effect that Saquon Barkley had on the Philadelphia Eagles and their run."
Ad

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

The insider added that this is an odd spot for Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills, as they haven't had a holdout before.

"No one thinks that number is realistic. I think the number makes sense right around Williams, even not a million or two more," Russini added. "The only reason this one is slightly bizarre to me is if you just look at the Buffalo Bills' history and Brandon Beane even said it, he's been there nine years, they've never dealt with anything like this. It's quite the track record."
Ad

Cook rushed for 1,009 yards and 16 touchdowns on 207 carries last season. He added 32 receptions for 258 yards and two touchdowns. The year prior, he had 1,122 yards and two touchdowns on 237 carries.

Bills coach expects James Cook to practice

James Cook has sat out some practices and a preseason game, but Bills coach Sean McDermott expects the running back to return to training.

Ad
"I would say that things have changed. Yes, we've had conversations with James. The information that we're getting is that he's moving in the direction of practicing today," McDermott said on Tuesday.

With Cook expected to practice, he is back in the fold to be a key part of the Buffalo Bills' offense this season.

Buffalo opens its 2025 NFL season at home on Sept. 7 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Buffalo Bills Nation! Check out the latest Buffalo Bills Schedule and dive into the latest Bills Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Quick Links

Edited by Cole Shelton
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications