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James Cook's extension breakdown: Pro Bowl RB, Bills both win the deal

Cook's deal is valued at $46 million through the 2029 NFL season
Khari Demos|
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook.
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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Now that James Cook has his bag from the Buffalo Bills, it's time to break down his extension.

The two-time Pro Bowl running back's extension has now been valued at $46 million. It tacked on four years to his rookie deal, locking him into the team through the 2029 season. But the piece that must be noted first is the fact that Cook is guaranteed $28.82 million on the deal, which ranks third in the NFL behind Saquon Barkley and Ashton Jeanty.

From the early impressions of the deal, it looks like it makes sense for both sides. According to Spotrac, Cook received a $9 million signing bonus and an average annual value (AAV) in salary at $11.5 million per year (seventh-highest in the NFL among RBs).

RELATED: Where James Cook's extension with Buffalo Bills ranks among NFL running backs

While Cook is making his money, he also helped save the Bills some cap space too.

The good thing for Cook is that he is getting his money at varying points of the deal. Whether it's the $4.41 million he'll make the day after Super Bowl LX and per-game active bonuses or the $7.4 million option bonus for 2026, the Georgia product will be paid an honest salary, as long as he keeps on this trajectory as an impact player for Buffalo.

Where does this leave the Bills, though? It allows them to spread out the money on his deal to provide some cap relief. Because Cook's base salary will be less than $2.1 million each of the next two years, Buffalo's cap hit for him won't exceed $5.9 million either season.

Additionally, Cook's base salary and cap hit only raise to averages of $9.74 million and $13.61 million, respectively, over the last three years of the extension. So, the hope is that Cook is still a productive player at that stage of his career.

But even if he isn't, the Bills should be able to get out of the deal in 2027, if all else fails. And that is clearly the sentiment Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane shared to the media. In the short term, the new contract will slightly lower Cook's 2025 salary cap hit.

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"Maybe a little bit. It's not going to be a lot, but a little bit for sure," said Beane following Wednesday's practice. "He was, James was counting five-something [million against the salary cap], I believe. So, yeah, a little bit. Nothing too crazy so that we're not pushing crazy numbers down the road.”

The best thing about this deal for Bills Mafia is that is finally behind everyone. Now Cook can get out on the field and prove how many pennies he's worth on this contract.

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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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