It's a big Tuesday morning in Western New York.
James Cook is back on the practice field for the Buffalo Bills.
The star running back had been holding-in since the beginning of last week. He was at the team facility but not practicing.
That came after he was a full participant in early training camp practices.
The backdrop here is that Cook is entering the final season of his contract and wants a new deal. He stated early in the offseason that he wanted $15 million per year. He'll be lucky to get the three years and $33 million total that Kyren Williams recently got from the Rams.
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Things got even more confusing on Saturday for the Bills' preseason opener. Cook was in full uniform, and reports indicated the Bills actually wanted Cook to play after a week of not practicing, but the RB declined to take the field.
Cook's return to the practice field Tuesday could be an indicator of many things. Maybe the two sides are further along in contract negotiations. He could also have just decided he'd rather ramp up to the season on the field rather than on the sideline.
Before Tuesday's practice, Bills head coach Sean McDermott told reporters: "He’s expected to practice today. Things have changed and yes we have had good conversations. He is moving in the direction of practicing today.”
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McDermott's "things have changed" there will definitely catch the eye of Bills' fans.
Maybe we'll even get a better look Tuesday night in the second episode of Hard Knocks.
But in the meantime, at least Cook is back out there. It's a step in the right direction for a team that wants to win a Super Bowl and would love to have its stud running back along for the ride.
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