James Cook Absent from Bills OTAs amid Contract Rumors, Joey Bosa Out with Calf Injury

The Buffalo Bills are starting organized team activities on Tuesday without two key players.

Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters that James Cook is the only player not present amid his desire for a new contract, while Joey Bosa suffered a calf injury that will keep him sidelined.

Despite Cook not being in attendance, McDermott did note he is still in contact with the veteran running back and he "will be here when he’s ready to be here" and they will be ready when it happens.

McDermott added that Bosa will most likely not take part in team activities until the Bills return for training camp in July.

Cook is entering the final season of his rookie contract with a $5.3 million base salary in 2025.

As speculation about his contract has ramped up throughout the offseason, Cook has declined to address whether or not he was planning a prolonged holdout until the situation was resolved.

"I necessarily don’t want to talk about it right now, because it’s like, it’s something I want to hold in to myself...just let the business take care of the business," Cook said at a Celebrity Poker Tour event on May 10.

Cook seemed to indicate on Instagram Live in February that he was seeking a deal worth $15 million per season.

A $15 million average annual salary would be tied with Derrick Henry for the third-highest among all running backs. Saquon Barkley ($20.6 million) and Christian McCaffrey ($19 million) are the two highest-paid players at the position.

Cook has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past two years and set a career-high with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024.

The Bosa situation might be more alarming for the Bills. He joined the team as a free agent, signing a one-year, $12.6 million contract after being released by the Los Angeles Chargers.

Buffalo brought him in with the hope that he could provide a boost to the pass-rush in a way that Von Miller struggled to do in his three seasons with the club due in part to injury issues.

Bosa is also a player who has been susceptible to injuries throughout his career. He did play 14 games for the Chargers in 2024, matching his total from the previous two seasons combined.

Even at this stage of his career, Bosa can still be a quality player in pass-rush situations. His 13 quarterback hits last season would have been tied with Ed Oliver for the second-most among all Bills players.

As long as Bosa's calf injury isn't something that lingers, this could be a non-issue for the Bills. It does help that it happened now, giving him approximately two months to recover before training camp opens.

The Bills will enter the 2025 season with high expectations coming off a 13-4 record and an appearance in the AFC Championship Game last year.