Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott told reporters before the Bills got on the field that he was anticipating James Cook would practice on Wednesday, even though the running back is seeking a new contract.
Via multiple reporters, Cook delivered on that expectation, as the running back took part in every drill.
After practice, General Manager Brandon Beane was asked what it says about Cook that he is not only in the building, but also fully participating.
“James is a competitive dude. He’s a stud. He’s a great teammate,” Beane said in his press conference. “He wants to be here. He loves ball. So many of the things that we learned about James through the scouting process — and it’s been fun to watch him grow and mature on and off the field. He’s got a calmness to him.
“Of course, who doesn’t want to get paid? And that’s the hard part of this job, is I do want to pay them all. I mean, I really do, especially the ones that are working hard, they’re producing on the field, their teammates love them, the fans love them. James fits Buffalo. But sometimes, you know, you can’t get on the same page or sometimes, you’re trying to fit it in. Or sometimes, guys have left here that we really wanted, we just couldn’t make it work. But I can tell you, I’m hopeful when we’re sitting here at next year’s training camp that James Cook is out there practicing and still representing the red, white, and blue.”
Beane noted that he had talked with Cook when the running back was in town for mandatory minicamp. At that time, Cook hadn’t determined whether or not he would practice during training camp. But he noted he showed up to avoid fines, saying, “I like my money.”
“We’ve always had a good relationship,” Beane said of Cook. “As I’ve said all along, I love James Cook. I want nothing more — you know how I am, I want to draft, develop, re-sign our own. It is a business. We have to fit it in, not only cash, but cap. And sometimes it’s not — you can look at it and say, well, you go this website or whatever, they could fit him in if they did this and this. But we also have to look at ’26, ’27, and beyond because you can walk yourself into one of those years where you’re like, oh man, there’s not a lot of guys we can take down on those years. We would have to trade or cut someone that we wouldn’t want to lose. So, it’s not only 2025 when we’re doing a deal with him or any other player. So, all those things have to make sense for us to fit it in.
“But, love James. He looks good. You can tell he’s been working. I thought he looked good in June camp and I think everyone knows I’m going to have an open dialogue with the players, that’s just who I am. And we’ll let the business take care of itself.”
A second-round pick in 2022, Cook has rushed for 2,638 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career. He’s also caught 97 passes for 883 yards with seven TDs.
