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All-Pro RB's new extension could be model for Bills' James Cook to follow

Kyren Williams landed a 3-year extension on Tuesday that sets a benchmark Cook could look to
Khari Demos|
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) and Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano (58).
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) and Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano (58). | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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While James Cook is still awaiting a contract extension from the Buffalo Bills, a fellow Pro Bowl running back has a new deal of his own.

ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter announced Tuesday that Kyren Williams reupped with the Los Angeles Rams on a contract extension. The details of the deal say that the 2023 second-team All-Pro is due to make an average annual value (AAV) of $11 million per year, as he landed a three-year, $33 million deal.

According to Schefter, this deal was one that people around the NFL were taking note of. He said that this was an extension that people were looking at before things "escalated" between Cook and the Bills.

Now the question is, how could this affect Cook and his contract dispute with Buffalo? You could argue that it does not do him any favors. Williams' league-high percentage of offensive touches rate in 2024 is the antithesis of Cook's usage, who only played on 48% of offensive snaps last season.

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A fellow member of the 2022 NFL Draft class, Williams had a similarly slow start to his career like Cook. But as the Georgia product did, the 2022 fifth-round pick also took off in year two, posting 1,350 yards from scrimmage and 15 total touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro nod. His 95.3 rushing yards per game were tops in the league that season.

The Notre Dame product followed that up with a 2024 season where he had career-highs in rushing yards (1,299), rushing TDs (14), yards from scrimmage (1,481) and scrimmage TDs (16).

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So, he had a similar case with the Rams as Cook does with the Bills. But rather than breaking the bank, Williams took slightly less, as his AAV now ranks seventh in the league.

There's no question that Cook has earned the right to a pay increase after back-to-back Pro Bowl campaigns and a 2024 season where he tied for the NFL's lead in rushing scores. But if Williams' deal has any influence on him in negotiations, the Buffalo brass must hope that Cook sees Williams' deal as one to follow, not necessarily one to supersede.

James Cook
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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Khari Demos
KHARI DEMOS

Khari Demos is an award-winning sports media creator and is a contributor for Bills On SI. He has written sports betting article covering the NFL for The Athletic and has written pieces about the NBA, MLB, college football and basketball, and more, throughout his career.

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