{"id":134639,"date":"2025-08-10T15:21:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T15:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/134639\/"},"modified":"2025-08-10T15:21:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T15:21:15","slug":"james-cook-dresses-but-refuses-to-take-field-for-buffalo-bills-we-wanted-him-to-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/134639\/","title":{"rendered":"James Cook dresses but refuses to take field for Buffalo Bills: \u2018We wanted him to play\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Athletic has live coverage of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/live-blogs\/nfl-preseason-scores-live-updates\/5IHds3w4x8t1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2025 NFL preseason Sunday games<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. \u2014 James Cook emerged from the Highmark Stadium tunnel in full pads and uniform, putting a charge into the pregame summer air.<\/p>\n<p>The Buffalo Bills running back hadn\u2019t worn any of his gear for a week. He wants a new contract and has applied his leverage by refusing to practice. To see Cook on the field Saturday \u2014 he even took a first-team rep in 11-on-11 warmup drills \u2014 was a jolt of hope.<\/p>\n<p>Cook never was going to play. In what was nothing more than a costume change, he milled about on the sidelines of the Bills\u2019 34-25 exhibition loss to the New York Giants.<\/p>\n<p>Cook stood next to running backs coach Kelly Skipper on the sideline for much of the game. For the second half, Cook wore sunglasses and running shoes, occasionally using a massage gun on his legs and sometimes watching from the bench.<\/p>\n<p>Upon exiting the locker room to head home, I asked Cook if he had a moment to chat. He didn\u2019t say a word, waving his hand as a de facto \u201cno comment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bills coach Sean McDermott revealed 20 minutes later the Bills wanted Cook to play Saturday, but last year\u2019s NFL rushing touchdowns co-leader refused \u2014 just as Cook has done since the Aug. 1 intrasquad scrimmage, missing four straight training camp practices and maybe many more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJames and I had a good conversation yesterday,\u201d McDermott said as part of the opening statement of his postgame news conference. \u201cWe talked about warming up. He agreed to warm up but not play due to his situation right now. That\u2019s where we\u2019re at. So no change, really, overall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Was the discussion with Cook an attempt to reach a compromise?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, we wanted him to play,\u201d McDermott said. \u201cI wanted him to play, but I don\u2019t really want to go into it any further.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s really no change at this point and time from what it was going into this weekend and the game today. He warmed up, like I said, but at this point, due to his situation and the position he\u2019s in, was not willing to play. So that\u2019s where we\u2019re at. Again, it was a good conversation, but really no change overall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Asked whether the Bills expect Cook to participate Tuesday in the next full-go practice, McDermott made it clear he was done discussing the stand-around tailback.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can talk about the guys who played,\u201d McDermott said. \u201cI think that\u2019s the right thing to do and the fair thing to do now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJames\u2019 situation is James\u2019 situation, and let\u2019s talk about the team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nothing is bigger than the team.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the support and diplomacy shown by Cook\u2019s teammates and coaches, Buffalo knows the ongoing saga is becoming a distraction.<\/p>\n<p>The team needs him in the huddle.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6544601 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26748514.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1964\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>      Quarterback Josh Allen said Thursday the Bills desperately want James Cook back on the field but understands the business side of the game. (Tina MacIntyre-Yee \/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019d be crazy to say we don\u2019t want him out there,\u201d quarterback Josh Allen said Thursday. \u201cWe desperately want him out there with us. Hopefully, something can get done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The team is also aggravated that this problem exists at all.<\/p>\n<p>McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane are proud of the culture they\u2019ve grown, cultivating a hale organization from the salted soil that produced 17 years of playoff famine. Propelled by their face-of-the-NFL quarterback, they\u2019ve turned a small-market outpost into a perennial Super Bowl contender.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to Cook, Beane never had a contract situation cause any training camp boycott. Everybody is supposed to be happy here. The idea that a star player is upset about his contract goes against the Bills\u2019 well-manicured identity.<\/p>\n<p>However, it must not be super-fun-wow for Cook to see several of his peers get contract extensions this offseason while he remains empty-handed. Three of his 2022 draft classmates \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6183582\/2025\/03\/07\/terrel-bernard-buffalo-bills-extension\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">linebacker Terrel Bernard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6159126\/2025\/02\/25\/bills-khalil-shakir-contract-extension\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">receiver Khalil Shakir<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6240620\/2025\/03\/29\/bills-cb-christian-benford-agree-extension\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cornerback Christian Benford<\/a> \u2014 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6186743\/2025\/03\/08\/bills-greg-rousseau-contract-extension-nfl-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">edge rusher Gregory Rousseau<\/a> now are on their second NFL deals.<\/p>\n<p>Benford suggested last week at St. John Fisher University that he wouldn\u2019t handle his contract the way Cook has.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I was in that position, it\u2019d probably be the same as how I\u2019m doing now \u2014 you know what I\u2019m saying? \u2014 working my butt off,\u201d Benford said. \u201cI\u2019m challenging myself to the wit\u2019s end, whether I got the money or not, whether they gave me the extension or not. I\u2019m still going to challenge myself and give my all to the wit\u2019s end.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then again, Benford was a sixth-round draft pick out of Division I-AA Villanova, while Cook was pedigreed, a second-round choice from FBS powerhouse Georgia.<\/p>\n<p>Cook is entering the final season of his four-year, $5.83 million rookie contract. He believes he has outperformed that deal. He rushed for 16 touchdowns last year, tying a club record, and scored twice more on receptions. Cook has been named to the past two Pro Bowl rosters.<\/p>\n<p>Cook contrarians note he signed the contract and should abide by it, that he ought to go out and prove his greatness with another great campaign before expecting a financial windfall. However, NFL contracts aren\u2019t fully guaranteed like in other leagues. It\u2019s funny how critics don\u2019t rail against a team\u2019s so-called contractual obligations when it cuts a player such as popular center Mitch Morse, whose salary is no longer palatable.<\/p>\n<p>The controversy is reinforced by the debate over whether running backs are worth big bucks in the first place. Cook is not a three-down back given his liability as a pass-blocker. Buffalo is hesitant to invest so much into an incomplete back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJames wants what he wants,\u201d Bills running back Ty Johnson said Saturday, \u201cand that\u2019s all there is to it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s a man about his business, about his money. That\u2019s how I leave it. I\u2019m just worried about myself and what I can do for this team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cook learned about football business from his big brother, Dalvin Cook. Perhaps the most important lesson is that a running back\u2019s shelf life is preciously short.<\/p>\n<p>Dalvin Cook, about to turn 25 at the time, squabbled with the Minnesota Vikings in 2020. After he rushed for 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first Pro Bowl season, Dalvin threatened to hold out if his rookie contract wasn\u2019t extended before the season. Dalvin showed up to training camp, got a five-year, $63 million contract and made three more Pro Bowls before the Vikings cut him for money reasons. Dalvin soon became a whisper of a runner, scuffling through the past two seasons with three clubs, including time on the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys practice squads.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s the huge business piece to this game,\u201d Allen said. \u201cIt\u2019s the hardest part. A lot of people don\u2019t understand it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is generational stuff. It\u2019s wealth for you and your family. It\u2019s not a small chunk of change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Buffalo\u2019s running backs all enjoyed their moments Saturday. Davis started and had the worst day as a runner, but probably the most entertaining. He rushed four times for only 7 yards and caught one pass for 7 yards, but he kicked an extra point with Tyler Bass sidelined by pelvic soreness.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson had three carries for 26 yards and didn\u2019t see any targets. Frank Gore Jr. ran five times for 21 yards and caught a team-high five passes for 50 yards. Darrynton Evans ran twice for 4 yards but added two receptions for 14 yards, including a 7-yard TD from quarterback Mike White in the fourth quarter. Fullback Reggie Gilliam made a 19-yard catch.<\/p>\n<p>Everybody knows, however, that any of those backs will have difficulty replacing what Cook can do.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJames is one of a kind,\u201d Davis said. \u201cThere\u2019s a very few amount of guys who\u2019s breaking 75-yard runs in NFL, and he\u2019s one of those guys. To see how special he is when he has the ball in his hands, he does a lot for this organization. He does a lot for this running back room.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo to have him continue to be out here definitely is a good thing for the Buffalo Bills.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That would be best for the team and its Super Bowl aspirations.<\/p>\n<p>The Bills better hope Cook\u2019s decision to warm up is a metaphor for a thaw in negotiations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">(Top photo: Mark Konezny \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NFL preseason Sunday games. ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. \u2014 James Cook&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":134640,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[8995,171,975,1232,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-134639","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-buffalo-bills","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-music","11":"tag-nfl","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-unitedstates","14":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115005154045143728","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134639"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134639\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}