The deal is done.
James Cook and the Buffalo Bills are sticking together for the long run.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the deal on Wednesday morning:
- 4 years
- $48 million total value
- $30 million guaranteed
It's the most guaranteed money on a running back contract in the last five years, writes Schefter.
"James could only envision himself as a Buffalo Bill, his agency told Schefter. “We are extremely thankful to the entire Bills organization and glad we could make that happen.”
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Cook is a two-time Pro Bowler and coming off his most efficient season as a pro. He was entering the final season of his contract.
Early in the offseason, Cook expressed interest in a contract for $15 million per year, then he watched as a bunch of his teammates earned extensions but not him.
In the end, Cook does extremely well to get $12 million average over four years. It beats Rams' RB Kyren Williams, who got $11 million average over three years in a contract signed a couple weeks ago.
This offseason, the Bills have now extended six cornerstone players: Cook, Josh Allen, Khalil Shakir, Christian Benford, Gregory Rousseau and Terrell Bernard.
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The Tuesday night episode of Hard Knocks spent a little time focused on Cook's hold-in at training camp.
He returned to practice on Tuesday, though, a sign that something may have been coming down the chute, and the deal arrived about 24 hours after his return to the field.
It's safe to say that next week's episode will show some happiness at a crucial contract getting done.
Now, the Bills can turn their entire attention to one common goal: winning a Super Bowl. And they've got their star RB on board to give it the best run they can.
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