The NFL running back market just changed under Buffalo. Kyren Williams signed off on a historic three-year, $33 million extension with the Rams. One that head coach Sean McVay publicly lauded, the atmosphere in Buffalo was a different one altogether. James Cook wasn’t present on the field. Rather, the Bills’ budding star watched from the sidelines as training camp continued to unfold, helmet removed, jersey intact, silently indicating a “hold-in” while contract negotiations simmered backstage.

The contrast of Williams’s payday against Cook’s impending contract wasn’t situational; this was symbolic. For Buffalo GM Brandon Beane, the clock has just begun ticking.

In 2022, Kyren Williams was a fifth-round selection from Notre Dame with durability issues and no fanfare. In 2023, he became the offense’s engine for the Rams. And now, in 2025, as NFL Insider Mike Garafolo put it, “He went to work and now has a new $33 million contract extension to show for it.” That statement, coupled with a deeper feature lauding Williams’s “pile-moving” style, provided a message. The market just changed. And James Cook, observing from the bench at Bills camp during a contract “hold-in,” is the first prominent back to react.

The contrast could not be sharper. While Williams signed a team-friendly three-year extension, Cook remains unsigned. According to the NFL segment, initial chatter from Cook’s camp floated numbers close to $15 million annually until Williams’s contract appeared to recalibrate the going rate for high-usage, pass-catching backs entering Year 4. Now, the Bills reportedly view Williams’s deal as a more appropriate comp. The two sides, once seen as far apart, may be closer to a compromise than the hold-in suggests.

Cook’s value to the Bills isn’t in doubt. He rushed for 1,009 yards in 2024 and gradually emerged as the driving force behind Buffalo’s offense. Williams, on the other hand, totaled 1,299 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns last season—and he did it in a Rams scheme that leaned on him heavily, without elite offensive line play or consistent quarterback health.

That production—and more importantly, that availability—justified the Rams’ investment. As Garafolo put it, “McVay and the Rams love him and paid him for it.” In contrast, Cook’s current hold-in, while not hostile, presents Bills GM Brandon Beane with a decision: pay early at a premium or risk alienating a rising star who’s becoming increasingly vital to Josh Allen’s rhythm. With the team’s backup running back depth still unclear and Allen already adjusting to a younger receiving corps, Cook’s absence from live drills isn’t just symbolic—it’s a negotiation tactic.

And Buffalo’s situation may be reaching a breaking point. While head coach Sean McDermott downplayed the hold-in as part of “ongoing discussions,” the league-wide tone shifted once Williams signed his deal. For Beane, this isn’t just about satisfying Cook—it’s about keeping the offense focused and free of distractions. With the Dolphins reshuffling, the Jets stacked on defense, and Joe Douglas going all-in on a playoff push in New York, now is not the time for contract drama. The Bills need clarity.

Kyren’s deal resets the market

Kyren Williams’ $33 million extension didn’t just impact Buffalo—it sent ripple effects across several franchises and, more significantly, reshaped the 2025 contract landscape for middle-tier running backs. Unlike star backs like Saquon Barkley or Christian McCaffrey, who command top-dollar due to their résumés and name recognition, players like Williams, James Cook, and others now find themselves in a new negotiating tier. And that tier just got a blueprint.

Then there’s Brian Robinson Jr. in Washington. With 799 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns in 2024, Robinson has emerged as a key cog in Kliff Kingsbury‘s offense. But his physical running style and Washington’s unsettled quarterback situation may complicate an extension in the long term. Still, Robinson’s agent now has a blueprint to work from. The Williams deal is a mid-range benchmark for young backs who aren’t RB1 caliber in a sense, but are more of a need than plug-and-play.

Even the Chiefs, a franchise infamous for riding multiple backs, are quietly paying attention. Isiah Pacheco in Kansas City is opening up comparable windows. The agreement provides the optimal combination of both worlds: commitment to a productive back without succumbing to the overvaluation trap. If anything, it makes the idea of re-signing dynamic but non-elite runners more acceptable in a league that continues to undervalue the position on draft night.

What Kyren Williams did with this extension is more than loyalty or Rams culture. It establishes a middle class for running backs once more. And that class, headed now by James Cook, will challenge just how far teams are willing to reach for balance in their offense.