NFL
James Cook
James Cook
Buffalo Bills, Running Back
Age: 25y-4m-17d (Sep 25, 1999)
Exp: 3 Years
Country: US
College: Georgia
Drafted: Round 2 (#63 overall), 2022
Agent(s): Matt Leist (LAA Sports)
2025 Cap Hit
$5,620,374
2025 Cash
$5,265,000
Career Earnings
$4,331,778
2022-2025 Rookie (CURRENT)
James Cook signed a 4 year, $5,832,057 contract with the Buffalo Bills, including $1,421,496 signing bonus, $2,391,590 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,458,014. In 2025, Cook will earn a base salary of $5,190,000 and a workout bonus of $75,000, while carrying a cap hit of $5,620,374 and a dead cap value of $355,374.
Contract Terms:
4 yr(s) / $5,832,057
Average Salary:
$1,458,014
Signing Bonus:
$1,421,496
GTD at Sign:
$2,391,590
Total GTD:
$2,391,590
Free Agent:
2026 / UFA
| Year | Age | Cap HitAnnual | Cap % League Cap | Cash Annual | Cash Cumulative | Dead Cap Annual | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
|
23 | $1,060,374 | 0.51% | $2,126,496 | $2,126,496 | $2,391,590 |
| 2023 |
|
24 | $1,325,468 | 0.59% | $970,094 | $3,096,590 | $2,036,216 |
| 2024 |
|
25 | $1,590,562 | 0.62% | $1,235,188 | $4,331,778 | $710,748 |
| 2025 |
|
26 | $5,620,374 | 2.04% | $5,265,000 | $9,596,778 | $355,374 |
| 2026 |
|
27 |
UFA |
| Year | Age | Base P5 Salary | Signing Bonus | Workout Bonus | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative | Cash Remaining | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
|
23 | $705,000 | $1,421,496 | - | $2,126,496 | $2,126,496 | $9,596,778 |
| 2023 |
|
24 | $970,094 | - | - | $970,094 | $3,096,590 | $7,470,282 |
| 2024 |
|
25 | $1,160,188 | - | $75,000 | $1,235,188 | $4,331,778 | $6,500,188 |
| 2025 |
|
26 | $5,190,000 | - | $75,000 | $5,265,000 | $9,596,778 | $5,265,000 |
Contract Notes
- $2.39M guaranteed (signing bonus + 2023 salary)
- 2025 Proven Performance Escalator available (3rd tier)
Source:
NFL contract specifics generally collected from verified reports.
Seasons
3 Years
Career Earnings thru 2025
$4,331,778
Earnings w/ Different Teams
1 team
Earnings Per Year
| Year | Age | Team(s) | Status | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 23 |
|
Active
|
$2,126,496 |
$2,126,496 |
|
| 2023 | 24 |
|
Active
|
$970,094 |
$3,096,590 |
Afc Pro Bowl:RB |
| 2024 | 25 |
|
Active
|
$1,235,188 |
$4,331,778 |
|
| Total |
$4,331,778 |
$4,331,778 |
||||
| 2025 | 26 |
|
Active
|
$5,265,000 |
||
| Total |
$9,596,778 |
Earnings Per Team
| Years | Team | Base | Signing | Roster | Restructure | Option | Incentives | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 |
|
$2,835,282 | $1,421,496 | - | - | $75,000 | - | $4,331,778 |
| Year | Team(s) | Age | Base | Signing | Roster | Restructure | Option | Workout | Incentives | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
|
23 |
$705,000
|
$1,421,496 |
$2,126,496 |
$2,126,496 |
|||||
| 2023 |
|
24 |
$970,094
|
$970,094 |
$3,096,590 |
||||||
| 2024 |
|
25 |
$1,160,188
|
$75,000 |
$1,235,188 |
$4,331,778 |
|||||
| Total |
$2,835,282 |
$1,421,496 |
$75,000 |
$4,331,778 |
$4,331,778 |
||||||
| 2025 |
|
26 |
$5,190,000
|
$75,000 |
$5,265,000 |
||||||
| Total |
$8,025,282 |
$1,421,496 |
$150,000 |
$9,596,778 |
Earnings Per Team
| Years | Team | Base | Signing | Roster | Restructure | Option | Incentives | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 |
|
$2,835,282 | $1,421,496 | - | - | $75,000 | - | $4,331,778 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Snaps | Snaps% | Rush Attempts | Rush Yards | Rush Yards/Gm | Rush Touchdowns | Rec Targets | Rec Receptions | Rec Yards | Rec Yards/Rec | Rec Yards/Gm | Rec Touchdowns | Fum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | BUF | 16 | 16 | 485 | 44.60 | 207 | 1,009 | 63.1 | 16 | 38 | 32 | 258 | 8.1 | 16.1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2023 | BUF | 17 | 13 | 634 | 54.50 | 237 | 1,122 | 66.0 | 2 | 54 | 44 | 445 | 10.1 | 26.2 | 4 | 4 |
| 2022 | BUF | 16 | 0 | 269 | 24.80 | 89 | 507 | 31.7 | 2 | 32 | 21 | 180 | 8.6 | 11.3 | 1 | 1 |
Calculated Market Value
Market Value
- 4 years, $40,838,096
- Avg. Salary: $10,209,524
- NFL Rank: 221
- RB Rank: 5
Current Contract
- Free Agent: 2026
- Avg. Salary: $1,458,014
- NFL Rank: 692
- RB Rank: 35
Comparable Players
We've selected the following players based on their age, contract status, and statistical production to compare James Cook to.
| Player | Length | Value | Avg. Salary | Age When Signed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Jacobs | 4 | $48,000,000 | $12,000,000 | 26 |
| David Montgomery | 2 | $18,250,000 | $9,125,000 | 27 |
| Tony Pollard | 3 | $21,750,000 | $7,250,000 | 26 |
| Saquon Barkley | 3 | $37,750,000 | $12,583,333 | 27 |
| Averages | 3 | $31,437,500 | $10,239,583 | 26.5 |
Base Calculated Value
After adjusting the above contracts as if signed at Cook's current age (25), a linear regression is performed, providing us with the following initial value.
| Length | Value | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | $53,450,205 | $10,690,041 |
Statistical Comparisons
Now we'll compare our variables and Cook statistically over the two seasons prior to their signing. In this case we're analyzing: GP%, Rush Yds/Gm, Rush TD/Gm, Rec/Gm, Fum/Gm, Rating
| Player | GP% | Rush Yds/Gm | Rush TD/Gm | Rec/Gm | Fum/Gm | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Josh Jacobs
2022-2023
|
88.24 | 81.93 | 0.60 | 3.00 | 0.20 | 78.30 |
|
David Montgomery
2022-2023
|
88.24 | 60.53 | 0.60 | 1.67 | 0.13 | 73.95 |
|
Tony Pollard
2022-2023
|
97.06 | 60.97 | 0.45 | 2.85 | 0.09 | 83.05 |
|
Saquon Barkley
2022-2023
|
88.24 | 75.80 | 0.53 | 3.27 | 0.10 | 73.75 |
| Average | 90.45 | 69.81 | 0.55 | 2.70 | 0.13 | 77.26 |
|
James Cook
2023-2024
|
97.06 | 64.58 | 0.55 | 2.30 | 0.15 | 77.05 |
| Pct Change | 7.31 | -7.49 | 0.00 | -14.81 | -15.38 | -0.27 |
| Median Prime % Change | -3.88% | |||||
| Average Prime % Change | -5.11% | |||||
Calculated Market Value: James Cook
After applying our Prime % figures into our base calculated value, we're given two values. The average of these values becomes our current calculated market value.
| Terms | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|
| 4 years, $40,838,096 | $10,209,524 |
