The end of the NFL season is officially here after the Philadelphia Eagles destroyed the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Now that the season is over, there are two big talking points that will continue throughout the offseason. The NFL Draft and NFL Free Agency.
These are exciting times for Georgia football fans because UGA always has a lot of players drafted each year while also seeing former Bulldogs sign massive extensions as well.
One Bulldog in particular is seeking a big contract extension for himself, but he may have a difficult time getting what he’s asking for.
#Bills Pro Bowl RB James Cook wants $15M per year on an extension… 👀 https://t.co/yt9JkQirFn
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 13, 2025
Buffalo Bills RB James Cook
Former Georgia star running back James Cook is coming off a monster season with the Buffalo Bills. Cook finished this past season with 207 carries for 1,009 yards and a whopping 16 touchdowns. Those 16 touchdowns quadrupled the combined amount of touchdowns he recorded in his first two seasons in the league.
Cook is now in an interesting spot because he has one year left on his rookie deal with Buffalo before his contract expires. During this upcoming season, the Bills only owe Cook $5.16 million on his base salary which is quite a steal for the production he had this past season. So it is not surprising at all to find out that Cook wants to ink a new deal that would earn him some more money. And that’s exactly what NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared as he reported that Cook wants $15 million annually on his contract extension.
This amount of money would make Cook the second highest paid running back in the league, only behind Christian McCaffrey who made $16 million this past season. That fact alone makes it unlikely that any team would pay Cook this much because he has only had one elite season in the NFL whereas all the other highest paid running backs have been great players for a longer time. Does Cook deserve to be paid more than guys like Alvin Kamara, Savion Barkley and Jonathan Taylor? At this point in his career he probably doesn’t.
It will be interesting to see if Buffalo wants to sign this extension or if they are able to bring the price down a little. If not, then the most likely scenario is that he plays this next season under his current contract before hitting Free Agency next offseason. And all things considered that wouldn’t be the worst scenario for Cook because if he proves he can have another elite season this year then maybe a team will actually pay him this much money.