With over 1,500 rushing yards, James Cook has become the engine of the Bills‘ offense, but the conversation in the locker room isn’t just about stats—it’s about value. And while Cook’s performance has silenced any doubts about his contract extension, both his head coach Sean McDermott and his quarterback Josh Allen are making a similar, powerful point about his value—one that suggests his impact goes far beyond his paycheck.

“There’s usually two ways these things play out. One is player gets a contract, gets paid, and they kind of relax, and that is human nature, right? So he has definitely gone this other direction of more invested, more impact on our team, and not just from carrying the ball but also his mindset.”  

“You watch him during a game, and the team is inspired by not only how he plays but also his words that he uses and how he leads. And that’s really a credit to him over the years, developing not only on the field but off the field, and now in a way of becoming one of the main leaders of our football team.”

That praise from McDermott comes after some real hesitation from the front office. At first, general manager Brandon Beane was reluctant to hand out a long-term contract to a running back, given how the position often gets undervalued in the NFL.

But the Bills ended up extending Cook with a four-year, $46 million deal. That made him the sixth-highest-paid running back in the league. It was a big vote of confidence in a guy who’s proven his worth time and again.

And as Coach McDermott said, that extension seemed to light a fire under Cook. This season, the 26-year-old has rushed 287 times for over 1,500 yards with 12 touchdowns. Cook leads the league in rushing yards and yards per game at 102.1. His dominance has everyone talking, including his quarterback.

That brings us to what quarterback Josh Allen has been saying. Allen has openly wondered if Cook’s pay matches his impact, making the same strong point McDermott just reinforced about Cook’s all-around value.

Josh Allen echoes the ‘underpaid’ talk on Cook

Last season, Cook led the league in rushing touchdowns with 16. He helped push the Bills’ offense from 15th in 2022 to number one overall. This year, the Bills’ offense ranks first in rushing attempts, yards, and touchdowns. It’s no wonder Allen thinks Cook deserves more recognition (and maybe more money) for carrying that load.

“I mean, if you look at it, probably, yeah,” Allen said on Dec 23. “But all he cares about winning football games right now, and it’s pretty awesome.”

Cook did push hard in negotiations, reportedly wanting a deal worth $15 million per year. The Bills didn’t go that high, settling on an average annual salary of $11.5 million for him. To be fair, Buffalo had a ton on their plate this offseason with heavy extensions for other key players.

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But what Cook brings to the table goes way beyond the numbers. The running back just got selected to the Pro Bowl for this season, and Allen made it too. Their chemistry has been a huge part of the Bills’ ground-and-pound success.

That being said, Allen and the Bills still have a 9.5% chance of taking the Lombardi home this season, per Fox Sports.