This week had Bills fans doing a double-take—James Cook suddenly showed up at practice after skipping time over his contract extension. The guy returned to the field after missing the last week of the training camp and the preseason opener. His holdout raised eyebrows, sure. But he returned, ran routes, and hit the pads, looking like nothing had happened. It wasn’t just about showing up—Cook was sending a message, and analysts were already breaking down how this return might shift the balance in Buffalo’s backfield.

Then, almost immediately after strutting back on the field, Cook locked in a shiny new contract extension—four years, $48 million, with a jaw-dropping $30 million guaranteed. Suddenly, the holdout drama felt worth it, and everyone started asking, “How did this even happen?” It wasn’t magic—there was strategy, timing, and some behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

And the Bills’ general manager, Brandon Beane, finally spilled what went down to get this deal done. As it turned out, the Bills had to bring Cook to the practice to finally do the paperwork. “I think we just, you know, we had an understanding that, you know, we need to practice if we’re going to be able to get, you know, get back to the table,” Beane recently revealed on Wednesday, August 13.

“And so, I think there was good faith on both parts, you know, from, you know, him and his agent to our side and, you know, once we got him back on the practice field, we really worked yesterday, Kevin Meganck, and you know, on our side and Zac Hiller, James’ agent, on his side. And I think it was roughly 11 o’clock or so last night where we were able to say we’re both sides are good with this and we get him signed in the morning.”

With that being loud and clear from the GM himself, it’s safe to say that one of the biggest weapons on the Bills’ offense isn’t going anywhere. At least not for the next five years. The RB recorded back-to-back 1,000+ rushing yard seasons in the last couple of years. A former second-rounder, Cook wrapped up his 2024 season with 1,009 rushing yards and 16 TDs with 4.9 yards per carry.

That said, James Cook was entering the final season of his rookie deal in 2025. And as expected, he was seeking a contract extension. But the road to that new deal wasn’t smoother at all. The RB held out throughout the season, including the OTAs and part of the training camp. Fast forward to now, and he has joined cornerback Christian Benford, wide receiver Khalil Shakir, and linebacker Terrel Bernard as the fourth player to get a new deal from the 2022 draft class.

“It’s a great organization,” Cook said earlier this offseason, addressing why he wants to remain a Buffalo. “They drafted me. They drafted me for a reason, I feel like. And I’m willing to be here and spend my career here.” However, there has been a wrinkle. The guy signed a $12 million per year deal, and if the chatter carries any weight, it wasn’t his initial choice or his brother’s, to be specific.

James Cook’s brother wanted a much bigger deal for the RB

After grabbing his first Pro-Bowl a couple of years back, James Cook put up almost similar numbers in the 2024 season, and yes, earned his second consecutive Pro-Bowl honors. His older brother, Dalvin Cook, watched his little brother’s performance and came to a conclusion: the Bills have to give James a pay raise. Dalvin’s suggestion? Around $20 million per year. And the logic tracks.

Back in January this year, right after James Cook recorded a 120-rushing-yard and one-touchdown performance in the wild-card win over Denver, Dalvin posted a simple yet expensive tweet, “$20M / year 💰.” At that time, Christian McCaffrey was the highest-paid back in the NFL with $19 million per year. No wonder Dalvin chose a $20M payroll for his little brother. The kicker?

Well, fast forward to now, and Josh Allen’s running back has settled into a new contract extension, sure. But $8 million less. As Ari Meirov reported, “Dalvin Cook had publicly posted about wanting $15M or even $20M per year for his brother — numbers the #Bills were never going to do.”

But the narrative shifted when Kyren Williams signed a 3-year contract extension worth $11 million per year. The result? It shifted the RB market, and James Cook eventually agreed to a $12 million per year on a four-year deal. That said, the 25-year-old RB will now stick through the 2029 season with Josh Allen and Co.