Back in July, Bills RB James Cook had dropped a cold hint that he wants a new deal “wherever it happens.” But as it turns out, that was just a negotiation tactic. Entering the last year of his rookie contract worth $5.8 million, Cook’s demand for moving forward was a sleek $15 million a year average. But with negotiations not going anywhere, Cook decided on a hold-in at training camp. The camp tides shifted, and the signs of Cook’s new deal were there even before it was made official.

Before the camp began on Tuesday, August 12th, Bills HC Sean McDermott had noted that “things have changed.” As the Coach further added, “We have had conversations with James. Good conversations, as I’ve mentioned before. The information that we’re getting is that he is moving in the direction of practicing today.” And sure enough, Cook was back on the field for reps with the team on Tuesday (Aug. 12). As the news broke out on 13th August, we know why. The deal is done, and it’s a massive raise.

What does James Cook’s new contract look like?

Adam Schefter made it official on X. Coming off a career-best season in terms of TDs in regular season (16) as well as postseason (3), James Cook now has a deal close to what he wanted for himself. The Bills have given Cook a whopping 4-year, $48 million extension with a big chunk of it guaranteed. For a player who has been locked in with the Bills for the entirety of his career, it comes as a big relief.

As Schefter put it on X, “Terms: James Cook is signing a four-year, $48 million extension that includes $30 million guaranteed. ‘James could only envision himself as a Buffalo Bill,’ said his agent Zac Hiller of LAA, who negotiated the deal. ‘We are extremely thankful to the entire Bills organization and glad we could make that happen.’” Cook wanted a $15 million a year deal, but as the Bills saw the precedent with Rams’ signing of Kyren Williams, Cook had to settle with the close number of $12 million a year. With Cook now locked in long-term, things may already be looking a little better for the reigning MVP, Josh Allen.

For Cook, it’s not just the big payday that matters. The $30 million guaranteed is notably the highest amount of guaranteed sum for an RB in the last half decade. Before the new contract, Cook’s net worth was notably $5,832,019. But now, that will bubble up to a massive $53,832,059.

How much has Cook earned in his NFL career so far?

James Cook was playing on his rookie contract since his 2nd round draft pick back in 2022. His original 4-year rookie deal was a $5,832,057 contract, with a $1,421,496 signing bonus and $2,391,590 guaranteed. In three seasons, he has already earned $4,653,682 and is slated to earn another $5,346,000 this new season. After that, the yearly payday will see a massive jump to $12 million a year all the way through the 2029 season.

For some time, it looked as though HC McDermott had given up on the idea of locking in Cook. The coach has notably said when asked about the contract situation recently, “Let’s just move on. We’ll talk about the guys that played… James’ situation is James’ situation.”

After posting two consecutive 1000+ yard seasons, Cook will now have to match his consistent production with his new deal. If he keeps up the drive he has already shown in the last two years, we might just see a third Pro-Bowl in store for Cook. And for the most part, Buffalo seems determined to lock up its stars for the future this offseason.

The move to lock in James Cook isn’t the only big wave the Bills have made in the recent months. They locked in their MVP Josh Allen with a 6-year, $330 million deal. Along with his QB, Cook now joins DE Gregory Rousseau ($80M), CB Christian Benford ($76M), WR Khalil Shakir ($53M), and LB Terrel Bernard ($50M), all of whom have signed 4-year deals for themselves.

With their stars locked in across the board, don’t mind them chasing the ring this season. Because it doesn’t look like the Bills will be satisfied with just another glorious postseason drive. With the shiny new contracts, the need of the hour now is a Lombardi Trophy and the ring to add to the bling. Can they do it?