James Cook is ready to roll.
The Buffalo Bills and their star running back reached agreement Wednesday on a four-year, $48 million contract to give Cook a long-term future as he headed into a contract year.
Cook spoke with reporters after Wednesday's practice, and his message was simple, via local TV reporter Dan Fetes:
“We paid now so let’s go play football.”
There's nothing else to be said.
Cook got his bag. Now the Bills want a ring.
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The star RB will be a big part of that. He's a two-time Pro Bowler coming off his most efficient season in the NFL.
The Bills rewarded him with $30 million guaranteed, which is the most guaranteed money on a running back contract in the last five years, per ESPN's Adam 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.”
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.
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In the end, Cook did 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.
That's a group you can end a Super Bowl drought with.
Cook is ready to do just that.
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