The Buffalo Bills have been hit with a stern reality check from star running back James Cook. The former second-round draft pick enters the final year of his $5.83 million rookie contract with Buffalo. There are concerns that the franchise may not be able to retain him when NFL free agency begins in March.

Cook, the 25-year-old Pro Bowler, took to Instagram Live on Wednesday to drop an honest revelation about his next deal. The Bills ball carrier is looking for $15 million per year, via @joeyhanover on X, formerly Twitter.

Cook is coming off a down season in terms of production. His rushing yards dropped to 1,009, and recorded 258 receiving yards, but his 16 rushing touchdowns were a career-best and tied with Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs for most in the NFL.

Bills can move on from James Cook and still contend for years

Running back contracts continue to be more undervalued with each offseason. The 2025 NFL Draft is brimmed with talent at the position, and the Bills possess several quality picks, which doesn’t bode well for Cook.

The Bills also saw a huge emergence from last year’s rookie ball carrier Ray Davis, who the franchise selected with a fourth-round pick. So they could decide to stick with Davis, and draft a new weapon in April.

While Cook has put up tremendous stats in the Bills offense over the last two seasons, the team has to figure out how to best support MVP quarterback Josh Allen, and decide if their dollars should be stretched more to other areas of need. Overpaying for a running back has backfired on many organizations, but it’s also made a few in recent history.

If the Bills meet Cook’s desired contract, he’d become the second-highest-paid running back in the NFL, trailing only Christian McCaffrey.