One of the big storylines of this offseason for the Buffalo Bills is the contract situation of running back James Cook, who is hoping for a new extension. Cook has been in attendance at Bills training camp but held out of practice on Sunday, which caused concern for some fans about what his status may be for this season if no deal is reached.
During the team's media availability, the running back had a very blunt explanation for his decision.
“Bills RB James Cook asked why he didn’t practice today ‘Business.' Followed up with if he’ll practice tomorrow: ‘Business.' Kept repeating ‘business' over and over,” reported Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN on X, formerly Twitter.
Bills fans are certainly hoping that the team is able to come to some sort of agreement with their star running back sooner rather than later.
James Cook has been a big part of the Bills' success over the last few years, showing versatility by not only being an elite threat as a running back but also as a wide receiver, which has given another dimension to Buffalo's offense.
Of course, the Bills' chances of competing rise and fall with quarterback Josh Allen, who the team recently signed to a record-breaking deal that will keep him in Buffalo for the long term.
Buffalo also made some savvy additions on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, including most notably bringing in star Joey Bosa, who, when healthy, remains one of the best pass rushers in the entire NFL.
Still, until the James Cook situation is resolved, there will likely be a bit of a cloud hanging over this training camp period.
In any case, the Bills are slated to kick off their 2025-26 season at home against the Baltimore Ravens in a playoff rematch on September 7 in prime time. It remains to be seen whether Cook's holdout would extend to the regular season if no deal is reached by that point.
