Running back James Cook, one of the team’s superstars, is missing from the start of the offseason program. Is this the first sign of contract negotiations ahead of his final rookie contract year?

Are the Buffalo Bills facing tough contract negotiations? The start of the NFL offseason preparations certainly suggests so.

Superstar James Cook, one of the key players who led the Bills to the Championship Game last season, was missing on Wednesday.

Cook contributed 16 rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns in the regular season last year. In the playoffs, in which Buffalo lost to the Kansas City Chiefs shortly before the Super Bowl, he added three more rushing touchdowns.

But if the Bills want to continue counting on the 25-year-old’s services in the future, they will probably have to hit the negotiating table. Cook enters the final year of his rookie contract in 2025. The window of opportunity for him to negotiate a higher-paying contract is now open.

James Cook wants to be among the NFL’s top earners

And he let his Instagram followers know back in February that this is what he has in mind. In a post, he bluntly stated his desired annual salary: $15 million per year. That would make him the second-highest-paid player in the NFL behind Christian McCaffrey.

His current rookie contract would earn him around $5.2 million next season, ranking him twelfth among the league’s running backs.

Now Cook is staying away from the first offseason training sessions. Participation is voluntary, so he does not have to fear any penalties. Nevertheless, this could be the start of lengthy negotiations.

After last season, the second-round pick from 2022 said on the “Nightcap” podcast: “I just want to get what I deserve.”

Whether the Bills are willing to offer him that remains to be seen: after all, there are plenty of promising running backs available in the NFL Draft, which starts on Thursday.