It's clear to Buffalo Bills' general manager Brandon Beane that he will have his trio of running backs from the 2024 season back in 2025, so, when he was asked about the status of the room on the Pat McAfee Show, he gave a very unbothered answer.
The former Indianapolis Colts' All-Pro punter had the Bills F.O. executive on his show Tuesday to discuss the team following this past weekend's NFL Draft.
One topic of discussion was Buffalo's lack of selecting a running back, despite the quality of players in the class and the omnipresent James Cook contract dilemma.
And while it seemed like he was poking fun at McAfee and the crew a bit when asked "if he had all three running backs returning" from 2024, Beane's answer was rather accurate when considering the RB contracts.
"Yes we do. Why wouldn't we?" said Beane during his visit on this ESPN show.
Contractually speaking, Beane is right. All three are under contract through the 2025 season.
One of McAfee's crew members chimed in from there, saying "he's been seeing Zillow," referencing the fact that Cook listed his home in Western New York for sale in early April. Beane played off the notion by asking if they were "looking for a house in Buffalo."
But to address the elephant in the room, he discussed Cook being on the roster for 2025 and the hope to keep him in Buffalo beyond next season.
"He will be here this year and hopefully beyond," Beane said. "We're focused on this season. But yes, for 2025, we'll have all three backs. And again, we love James and we would love nothing more thank to keep him here longer term. But in the immediate point right now, we've got all three guys back, including him back for this season."
This sentiment echoes what Beane has tried to stick to all offseason. Now the question is whether or not Cook will keep playing hardball in order to land a new deal.
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