Buffalo Payments Professional Bowl working again James Cook dinner, who’s searching for a contract extension, goes to proceed to push for a brand new deal regardless of being a full participant in coaching camp. Whereas talking to reporters at present, Cook dinner opened by explaining the monetary motivations to indicate up for apply.
“It’s my job, you already know? I acquired to take part so I received’t get fined,” he said. “Simply come out right here, and simply present them that I’m able to go and earn what I acquired to go get.”
Whereas different NFL stars like Trey Hendrickson and Terry McLaurin are staging holdouts within the hopes of receiving contract extensions, that thought by no means went by way of Cook dinner’s thoughts.
“I didn’t actually give it some thought. I simply knew I used to be going to come back out right here and work,” he acknowledged. “I don’t owe it to no one however my teammates and myself and my household. So, by me collaborating, [I’m] displaying my teammates that I really like the sport, and I’m keen to be out right here.”
It additionally doesn’t damage that displaying up for coaching camp may create extra goodwill between Cook dinner and the Payments.
“It provides me slightly leverage,” he defined. “Present them that I care about it and that I’m keen to do it and keen to come back out right here and take part and present my teammates that I’m keen to be out right here and compete with them guys.”
Cook dinner admitted that the need to obtain a contract extension offers him with further motivation to proceed to construct on back-to-back Professional Bowl seasons.
“We have now talks. I’m by no means going to surrender,” he stated confidently. “I imply, I deserve what I would like, [what] I want, and it’s going to ultimately occur.”
Cook dinner stated that his teammates have his again in these negotiations. They’ve been “very supportive” all through this course of.
“I don’t actually speak to them about issues like that, however I simply type of like not need to convey that as much as the group and be a distraction,” Cook dinner defined. “So, I simply type of keep to myself and simply let my brokers and people guys work issues out.”
He ultimately stated one thing considerably regarding for Payments followers.
“I imply, nevertheless it’s occurring, it’s going to get performed, wherever it occurs at,” Cook dinner clarified.
“When James got here in for the obligatory camp, we spoke,” general manager Brandon Beane told reporters yesterday. “We’ve at all times had an excellent relationship. And – as I’ve stated all alongside – I really like James Cook dinner… I need to draft, develop, [and] re-sign our personal.”
Pretty much as good as which may sound, there are choices that Beane and the Payments must make to make sure they’ll signal Cook dinner and nonetheless manage to pay for so as to add different gamers in-season and subsequent low season.
“It’s a enterprise. We have now to suit it in, not solely money, however cap,” Beane defined. “We even have to take a look at ’26, ’27, and past as a result of you possibly can stroll your self into a kind of years the place you’re like, ‘Oh man, there’s not quite a lot of guys we will take down.’ We must commerce or lower somebody that we wouldn’t need to lose. So, it’s not solely 2025 after we’re doing a cope with him or some other participant. All these issues should make sense for us to suit it in.”
The excellent news is that Brandon Beane goes to be clear with gamers on the Payments’ roster relating to contract negotiations.
“I believe everybody is aware of I’m going to have an open dialogue with the gamers,” he stated. “That’s simply who I’m. And, we’ll let the enterprise handle itself.”
Both approach, it appears like James Cook dinner desires to proceed his NFL profession with the Buffalo Payments. He stated that the “quarterback and the followers” are two of the most important the reason why he desires to stay in Buffalo.
“It’s a terrific group,” Cook dinner stated. “They drafted me for a purpose, I really feel like. I’m keen to be right here and spend the remainder of my profession right here.”
