The ongoing contract saga with running back James Cook took a negative turn for the Buffalo Bills.
On Sunday during the team’s ninth day of training camp, Cook sat out because of the ongoing negotiations.
The Pro Bowler has made it known he wants a new deal, but had previously only skipped voluntary workouts. Day 9 was the first time he sat out a mandatory workout:
Bills RB James Cook did not participate in a mandatory practice for the first time since seeking a contract extension this offseason.
More via @agetzenberg:https://t.co/W6GSKm6H96
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 3, 2025
Cook did not specifically indicate that he was sitting out because of the new contract he has wanted.
However, he made it obvious.
Per ESPN, when speaking to a few reporters on the sideline of practice, Cook said he was not taking part in workouts because of “business.”
On the team side of the ledger, there were no comments offered.
Other teammates such as wide receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrel Bernard and cornerback Christian Benford have landed contract extensions this offseason. Their negotiations were not made public as Cook’s is since the running back has stated he wants to be paid some big bucks.
In terms of Cook not practicing, he was present as noted. He watched from the sideline which can be found below:
More video of #Bills RB James Cook at today’s practice in which he didn’t participate, instead watching on sidelines and doing work on the bike.
After it appeared any concerns were squashed when he was full go Day 1, Cook’s contract status back to being top of mind.@WGRZpic.twitter.com/36rsRE4Gfv
— Jonathan Acosta (@_jacosta) August 3, 2025
Bills Wire will continue to provide updates throughout training camp.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Contract saga with Bills’ James Cook takes a turn during training camp