So how does this Cook's "hold-in" end gracefully (if there is no extension)?

[Dr.Sack]

Cook has all the cards in this situation. Sure he could be out $5.4m but no one can force him to play in 2025. It may backfire on him come 2026, I can imagine there are a handful of teams that will pay him what he wants. 

[PoundingDog]

I wonder what else McDermott and Cook talked beside about this game. No I'm not talking about contracts. Next preseaon game, Josh and first team probably will play. Is Cook playing too? McDermott may have told him if no practice or at least one preseason game, no regular season start. Cook in full uniform and took part in warm up may be the result of those conversations not shared to us.                   

[PetermansRedemption]

14 hours ago, Mister Defense said:

 

In a sports league like the NFL when players outplay their contracts, especially their rookie contracts, as no one really knows what each player is worth until they show it on the filed, it is extremely common practice to rip up the old contract, as it does not reflect the player's actual worth.

 

James Cook is one of those players who has significantly outplayed his contract. The NFL is very different from the army, as you hopefully know.

 

It would be nice if we could legitimately compare our type of everyday workman 'contracts' to those of NFL players, but we can't realistically do that.

 

And I don't believe it is legal to 'get a rifle but" slammed into your head by your superiors in either the military or the NFL. If this has happened to you, sue them.

 

I had a twisted drill sargeant in basic training at Fort Knox, but the worst she did to me was make me do 20 pushups to the wind (often).

 

 

Wouldn’t this make rookie contracts useless except for those that underperform? Thus having a disproportionately negative effect on the teams? Surely there has to be a middle ground in the next CBA. Maybe some varying levels of performance bonuses for rookies would work. 

Edited August 10 by PetermansRedemption

[Sojourner]

56 minutes ago, PetermansRedemption said:

Wouldn’t this make rookie contracts useless except for those that underperform? Thus having a disproportionately negative effect on the teams? Surely there has to be a middle ground in the next CBA. Maybe some varying levels of performance bonuses for rookies would work. 

If you’re going that route then you’d obviously want thresholds, high and low, for each position that adjust as and to the salary cap. Or you make contracts virtually performance based. 
 

Can’t see the majority of players or their agents agreeing to that. 
 

That would however be an ideal for middle ground but not reliant. 

[HamptonBillsfan]

I don’t understand why Beane is making this thing last longer than it should. We need Cook  out there working hard with the offense and building towards the Ravens. Beane did almost nothing to improve the offense. I love Palmer, but he’s not a game changer. With Shakir injured, Beane is prepping us to limp into the regular season. His  acquisitions on defense were basically, PED D-lineman, Tre White and an injury prone Bosa. This guy talks a good game but his priorities are misplaced if he doesn’t sign Cook soon. Contrary to what delusional detractors of Cook say about playing hard ball with our 2nd most talented player, we will be asking Josh to play hero ball if Cook remains unsigned and we know how that works out. Either he gets injured or we just struggle with middle of the pack receivers and backup RBs.

[Einstein]

13 hours ago, Dr.Sack said:

Cook has all the cards in this situation. Sure he could be out $5.4m but no one can force him to play in 2025. It may backfire on him come 2026, I can imagine there are a handful of teams that will pay him what he wants. 

 

If he doesn’t play in 2025, his contract just rolls to 2026.

 

Bills would still have his rights.

[Billzgobowlin]

19 hours ago, BullBuchanan said:

Maybe you should have signed an NFL contract instead.

It would be worse advice to risk getting injured on an expiring low-value contract as has happened with countless NFL players. This is about money.

Of course it's all about money.  What if the Bills see his holdout and decide to give him nothing?  He is not doing himself any favors

We have to remember when Diggs created all that drama and how they marginalized him in the offense.  I hope Diggs is enjoying his time with the Patriots and Drake Maye.  There is definitely one loser when Cook decided to post that 15 million number and it is Cook.

[Doc Brown]

17 hours ago, Dr.Sack said:

Cook has all the cards in this situation. Sure he could be out $5.4m but no one can force him to play in 2025. It may backfire on him come 2026, I can imagine there are a handful of teams that will pay him what he wants. 

Bills have most of the leverage given Cook is under contract through this season..  Nobody is going to make the Le'Veon Bell mistake again and give Cook big money after sitting out a year.  Recouping the $5m lost not playing this year would be very difficult in his next contract.  If they don't come to a deal Cook's best option is to ball out this year and hope to parlay it into a big contract next year.  Beane knows this and it's just a staring game between him and his agent at this point.

[BullBuchanan]

2 hours ago, Billzgobowlin said:

Of course it's all about money.  What if the Bills see his holdout and decide to give him nothing?  He is not doing himself any favors

I don't think he cares and he realizes the chances of the Bills paying him is probably close to zero. His best bet is to stay healthy and hope the Bills trade him to someone that can and will pay him.

[JP51]

On 8/9/2025 at 12:52 PM, Ya Digg? said:

So then you agree, he’s honoring his contract 

I dont... if the reports are true that he was asked to go in the game and he refused then to me refusing to play football when you are contracted to play football means you are breaking a contract. If what is being reported is true. 

[DrDawkinstein]

2 minutes ago, JP51 said:

I dont... if the reports are true that he was asked to go in the game and he refused then to me refusing to play football when you are contracted to play football means you are breaking a contract. If what is being reported is true. 

 

Real question: do the guys get paid for a preseason game?

[JP51]

33 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Real question: do the guys get paid for a preseason game?

So I had to look it up lol apparently they do vets get 3250.00 rooks get 1850.00 its a stipend and consistent thru the league... looks like James missing out on his tip money this week 😆 

[RiotAct]

20 hours ago, Dr.Sack said:

Cook has all the cards in this situation. Sure he could be out $5.4m but no one can force him to play in 2025. It may backfire on him come 2026, I can imagine there are a handful of teams that will pay him what he wants. 

hey, he would be well-rested!

[Ya Digg?]

2 hours ago, JP51 said:

I dont... if the reports are true that he was asked to go in the game and he refused then to me refusing to play football when you are contracted to play football means you are breaking a contract. If what is being reported is true. 

Honest question-where did you see or hear any reports about this. Just curious because I haven’t seen that mentioned anywhere 

[4merper4mer]

There must be a way we can blame Tre White for Cook not being on the field.  Let’s figure it out.

[BuffaloBillyG]

21 hours ago, Dr.Sack said:

Cook has all the cards in this situation. Sure he could be out $5.4m but no one can force him to play in 2025. It may backfire on him come 2026, I can imagine there are a handful of teams that will pay him what he wants. 

Cook has almost zero leverage here. He refuses to play come regular season time he loses money. The Bills retain his rights if he doesn't report/play by week 10 I believe.

3 hours ago, BullBuchanan said:

I don't think he cares and he realizes the chances of the Bills paying him is probably close to zero. His best bet is to stay healthy and hope the Bills trade him to someone that can and will pay him.

See and this is one of my worries. Last year he ran hard. He played tough. He was gunning for that contract. Now without an extension, does he make more "business decisions"?

On 8/9/2025 at 12:20 PM, Ya Digg? said:

If he plays and the Bills let him walk, they will get a 3rd round comp pick for him, but your feelings are hurt and you’ll take it whatever you can get for him. This is why fans don’t run teams

Your military contract doesn’t have language in there that makes hold ins possible. It’s in the CBA that players are allowed to do this 

Don't be so sure. The Giants ended up with zero compensation for losing Barkley. The Titans got zippo for losing Henry. All depends on what they do against the formula next off season.

[4merper4mer]

2 hours ago, JP51 said:

I dont... if the reports are true that he was asked to go in the game and he refused then to me refusing to play football when you are contracted to play football means you are breaking a contract. If what is being reported is true. 

What report?  McD said they discussed it Friday.  He also said he wanted him to play but that he knew he wasn’t going to play.  It’s not as if he was told to go in a huddle and said no.

[JP51]

4 hours ago, Ya Digg? said:

Honest question-where did you see or hear any reports about this. Just curious because I haven’t seen that mentioned anywhere 

Well saw it scrolling on the nfl channel and someone posted above the Matt Bove reported it 

4 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

What report?  McD said they discussed it Friday.  He also said he wanted him to play but that he knew he wasn’t going to play.  It’s not as if he was told to go in a huddle and said no.

Well what i saw reported was McDermott wanted him to play and he said no... its pretty straight forward if what is being reported is true. His coach wanted him to play and despite being under contract he refused. Now if they are reporting this wrong Well ok..

 But as I said if its being reported correctly then he is not honoring his contract 

[4merper4mer]

12 minutes ago, JP51 said:

Well saw it scrolling on the nfl channel and someone posted above the Matt Bove reported it 

Well what i saw reported was McDermott wanted him to play and he said no... its pretty straight forward if what is being reported is true. His coach wanted him to play and despite being under contract he refused. Now if they are reporting this wrong Well ok..

 But as I said if its being reported correctly then he is not honoring his contract 

Discussing playing on Friday and letting the coach know you wouldn’t play is FAR different than what you typed which is that Cook was “asked to go in the game”.  That makes it sound like McD said “Cook you’re in”  and Cook said “Nah, go ahead Ray”.  That is not what happened.

[Mikie2times]

If we are talking 10-13 million this needs to get done. If we are talking 14-15 million, you eat the million or two overspend for the greater good and get it done. If this is more than that it won’t get done. This isn’t that complicated of a contract. It’s crazy to me they can’t figure this out. Somebody has to be brutally stubborn here and I wouldn’t assume it’s Cook. Could be either. Will be interesting to learn what the numbers ended up being eventually. 

Edited August 11 by Mikie2times