James Cook Declined to Play vs. Giants amid Contract Rumors, Bills' McDermott Says

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook "agreed to warm up but not play" in Saturday's preseason opener against the New York Giants, head coach Sean McDermott told reporters after the game.

McDermott said the decision was made after he had a "good conversation" with Cook on Friday.

"We wanted him to play. I wanted him to play. But I don't really want to go into it any further," McDermott said. "There's really no change at this time from what it was going into this weekend, and the game today. He warmed up like I said, but at this point, due to his situation, the position he's in, was not willing to play.

"So, that's where it's at. Again, it was a good conversation, but really no change overall."

Cook participated in the first eight practices of training camp before he began sitting out as part of his push for a contract extension ahead of the 2025 season.

The running back is currently heading into the 2025 season with a $5.27 million base salary in the final year of his rookie deal, according to Spotrac.

Multiple reporters shared videos of Cook going through team warmups in full uniform ahead of Saturday's preseason game.

McDermott declined to answer as to whether he expected Cook to practice going forward, telling reporters it would be "fair" to focus on the players who participated in Saturday's game.

The Bills head coach initially praised Cook for attending the beginning of training camp.

That changed when Cook sat out of practice last Sunday. When asked why he had decided not to participate, Cook repeatedly answered with only the word "business," per ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg.

General manager Brandon Beane said in a Monday appearance on WGR 550 Sports Radio's Jeremy and Joe Show that the running back's holdout had been "not something we were fully aware of until shortly before practice."

"I wish we weren't here. This is my ninth season here, we've never had a player miss due to a contract or anything like that, so that's disappointing for me... Hopefully we get him back out there soon," Beane said Monday.

Cook indicated on social media in February that he was looking for a contract in the range of $15 million per year, which would allow him to join the Philadelphia Eagles' Saquon Barkley, San Francisco 49ers' Christian McCaffrey and Baltimore Ravens' Derrick Henry as one of the four highest-paid running backs in the league by annual salary.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and The Athletic's Dianna Russini have previously reported that the Bills and Cook are not far apart in contract negotiations, and Beane said the team has been in "constant communication" with Cook's camp.

Josh Allen told reporters on Thursday that his team "desperately" wants Cook back on the field. The Bills will hope to find a resolution before opening the regular season on Sept. 7 against the visiting Ravens.