Bills running back James Cook is back.
Nine days after he began a deliberate, business-related boycott of practice while he seeks a new contract, Cook will indeed return to practice today, per a source with knowledge of the situation.
The reason for the decision to get back to work isn’t clear. The Bills had the right to fine him for refusing to practice. They could have fined him for refusing to play in the preseason opener.
The Bills also had the right, under Article 8, Section 1(b) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, to block him from receiving an accrued season toward free agency for “fail[ing] to perform his contract services for the Club for a material period of time.” That would have derailed his timetable for getting back in 2026.
Or maybe he’s back because a deal is coming. That’s the best outcome for everyone. A fair, win-win deal that compensates Cook for his skills and abilities and that further positions the Bills to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 32 years — and to win one for the first time ever.
