The Baltimore Ravens made headlines Wednesday by securing star running back Derrick Henry to a two-year, \$30 million contract extension, including \$25 million guaranteed. The new deal, which averages \$15 million per season, makes Henry the highest-paid running back over the age of 30 in NFL history by average annual value.
The extension ensures that Henry, who joined the Ravens earlier this offseason, remains a key fixture in Baltimore’s offense through the 2026 season. Known for his bruising running style and remarkable durability, the 30-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down, and the Ravens are betting big on his continued dominance.
Henry’s contract could have ripple effects across the league, especially for teams managing expiring deals at the running back position. Among those impacted is Buffalo Bills running back James Cook, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Shortly after the Henry extension was announced, Cook took to social media with a cryptic message widely interpreted as a lobby for a new deal of his own.
“Know your worth,” Cook posted on X (formerly Twitter), followed by a money bag emoji — a common signal among NFL players hinting at contract aspirations.
Cook, 24, emerged as the lead back for Buffalo last season, rushing for over 1,100 yards and adding significant value as a receiver. While not as accomplished as Henry, Cook’s youth and versatility make him a foundational piece of the Bills’ offense — and a prime candidate for an early extension.
With Henry’s new deal resetting the market for veteran running backs, teams across the NFL may soon face similar pressure from their own stars looking to capitalize. Expect contract talks to heat up in Buffalo and beyond as the summer unfolds.
Absolutely that’s a fair and critical distinction to make.
While James Cook has certainly shown flashes of promise and delivered solid production — including over 1,000 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024 — the idea of placing him in the same echelon as Derrick Henry or even other top-tier backs like Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, or Jahmyr Gibbs is, at best, premature.
The Numbers and Context Matter
Cook played just 48% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps last season, a clear indicator that the Bills still view him as part of a committee backfield, rather than a do-it-all workhorse. In contrast, Henry has consistently been the engine of his team’s offense, leading the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns multiple times and routinely playing over 70% of offensive snaps in his prime.
Moreover, the Bills’ scheme under offensive coordinator Joe Brady is not designed around a bell-cow back — it relies more on spread formations and leveraging Josh Allen’s dual-threat capabilities. So even if Cook were capable of taking on a bigger role, it’s debatable whether Buffalo would ever tailor their offense around a single running back the way Tennessee did with Henry or San Francisco does with McCaffrey.
The Business Side
There’s also a financial reality: with big-money extensions looming for players like Greg Rousseau, Christian Benford, and potential roster churn coming due to salary cap constraints, the Bills may be unwilling to commit top-tier money to a player who, while effective, hasn’t yet proven to be irreplaceable.
If Cook is looking for \$12–15 million AAV, it’s probably going to be from a team looking to make him their centerpiece. In Buffalo? That’s a long shot, unless he takes a team-friendly deal or makes another leap in production and usage in 2025.
Bottom Line
ames Cook is good — maybe even very good — but he’s not Derrick Henry. Not yet. And while he might be worth a strong second-contract extension, expecting top-of-the-market dollars when he’s not been the focal point of the offense makes his situation far less clear-cut than it may appear on social media.
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