The life of Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is now swirling with drama. Unsurprisingly, for this time of year, it stems from his contract extension — or rather, the lack of it. The 25-year-old is currently in the last year of a four-year contract, with $5,832,057 due to be paid for 2025. But the interesting part right now is the $15 million per year contract extension he wants and is being ignored for. That’s huge for any RB.

In fact, he could become the third-highest-paid running back in the league after Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley if he secures that deal. But things have taken a different turn. What the Bills’ GM, Brandon Beane, said about James Cook’s contract was shocking for everybody. It’s pretty hurtful that it’s taking time, right? Well, James Cook has decided to pull his own move from the hurt locker in return. Let’s check it out.

Bills RB James Cook’s house is for sale

Yeah, you read that right. According to reports, James Cook has listed his Orchard Park residence for sale. Sources say Cook’s brother, former Vikings star Dalvin Cook, purchased the property in 2022. It’s worth $710,000. NFL reporter Nick Veronica posted on X about this, offering one of the reasons: “Bills running back James Cook has listed his Orchard Park house for sale, coming just days after GM Brandon Beane indicated they weren’t close on a contract extension and said he didn’t foresee ‘doing any deals anytime soon.’” More shocking than his contract extension drama, right?

Hunt Real Estate has posted clear advertisements for the sale of James Cook’s house. It says the listed house is located at 17 Judith Drive in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills running back’s house spans over 2,090 sq. ft., where the price per square foot is being advertised as $339. The RB’s listed house features a magnificent kitchen, coffee station, and wine chiller. It was built in a colonial-style architecture. The driveway looks amazing, with beautiful greenery bordering the house.

But you must be thinking: Why did he do that, and what does it mean for his future with Josh Allen’s Bills? Well, there could be many reasons behind James listing his house for sale. But does the rejection mean Cook is not returning with the Bills next season?

Is James Cook’s move an indicator or something else?

In February 2025, James went live on Instagram. The pinned comment on his live was his own comment, which said, “15 mill year.” Surely, he was expecting the GM and the organization to agree with him. But the Bills’ general manager said two days ago, “It didn’t lead to anything as far as closing in on a deal, so we moved on to the guys that we were all on the same page with. I don’t see us getting something done anytime soon. We’re onto the draft.” This was more than a hint that Cook is not getting the third-biggest deal for RBs in the history of the game. At least not this offseason.

But thinking about selling his NY house amid the contract extension rejection seems to suggest that the Bills RB may not return in a Bills blue jersey. Think of it as a tantrum, a meltdown, or even just a cold and calculated decision. But could it be an indicator that instead of seeing his contract through to 2025, Cook might force his way out now? Or is it a desperate ploy to try and wiggle out that $15 million figure that he has on his mind?

It seems odd, but when an RB who tied for 1st place in rushing TDs in 2024 is in the picture, it’s all possible. But at this point, the Bills don’t necessarily need to act. They can simply let the drama play out and count on his desire for that payday to carry his performances through the season. After all, despite his astonishing 16 TDs from 207 carries last season, he only had 2 each in his first two years. So, perhaps it’s even a wise choice to look at his production this season before offering him a deal in the upper echelons of the NFL. With this latest move, they might also be considering his temperament as part of that decision.

But after all, it’s business. If Cook puts up numbers similar to last season, this will all be forgotten. If he doesn’t… well, let’s see how it all plays out.