James Cook Reacts to Saquon Barkley's Record-Setting Eagles Contract amid Bills Rumors

Saquon Barkley's historic contract with the Philadelphia Eagles could serve as fuel for James Cook's quest for an extension of his own.

The Buffalo Bills running back responded with an eyes emoji to the news of Barkley's two-year, $41.2 million deal shared by ESPN's Adam Schefter:

The contract will make Barkley the first running back in NFL history to earn more than $20 million per season, per Schefter.

The San Francisco 49ers' Christian McCaffrey previously set the standard with his $19 million extension last offseason.

Cook previously indicated in a Feb. 11 Instagram live comment he is looking for $15 million per year on his next extension, a number he reiterated in a Feb. 20 appearance on Shannon Sharpe and Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson's Nightcap podcast.

"I just feel like we're deserving of it. Like, why not?... We work all our life to get paid. Like, feed me the big bucks," Cook said (30:30 mark.)

Only McCaffrey made $15 million or more last season. Jonathan Taylor ranked second among all running backs with an average annual salary of $14 million in 2025.

Now that the top of the market has been raised, however, Cook could be hoping it will be easier to convince the Bills to make him one of the highest-paid RBs in the league.

That could be a difficult fit for the Bills given their limited cap space and the possibility that reigning MVP Josh Allen could be looking for a raise. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said in January he "would not be surprised at all" if the Bills renegotiate Allen's deal this offseason.

Cook is currently signed through the 2025 season at a $5.6 million cap hit on his expiring rookie contract. He could attempt to push the Bills to rework his deal with a 2025 holdout, although he will have to play at least six regular-season games in order to test unrestricted free agency in 2026.