Two Bills named as next in line for massive contract extensions

The Bills have two young players who are listed on PFF's next players to earn contract extensions.

Dec 1, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47). / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The biggest lingering question of the Buffalo Bills' offseason remains the attention Buffalo is giving to keeping their top young players for longer-term deals.

PFF's Bradley Locker released his list of the 20 NFL players who are next to get significant contract extensions. Buffalo had two players on the list, which only four teams on the list had multiple entries on.

First on the list was cornerback Christian Benford, who just completed his third season on the Bills. Benford's under-the-radar performances had Locker glowing about how much he deserves to get paid.

"There might not be a more unheralded star defender in the NFL than Benford. The sole reliable coverage player in Buffalo’s secondary over the past few seasons, Benford concluded last year sixth in both wins above replacement and PFF overall grade (79.3) among qualified cornerbacks. The 24-year-old has been one of the NFL’s best at his position since 2023 and should join Josh Allen, Greg Rousseau and Khalil Shakir as Bills getting a larger piece of the pie."

Last season, Benford marked career-highs in tackles (64) while matching in pass deflections (10), interceptions (two), and forced fumbles (two). He was selected as a finalist for the AP Defensive Player of the Year award.

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Benford is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract. The Bills will incur a cap hit of approximately $3.4 million in 2025.

Dec 29, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47). / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The more vocal Bills player looking for a payday is running back James Cook. Locker showed his career-best numbers from a season ago as part of the reason for a new contract extension.

"The Bills have been mentioned at length in this piece already, but their list of checks to write still includes Cook. A year ago, the Georgia alumnus slotted eighth among qualifiers in PFF rushing grade (88.6) and 12th in missed tackles forced (47). On the heels of a career-best season and a strong early career, Cook is poised to earn at least $10 million per year on a new deal."

Cook has gone back-to-back years rushing for over 1,000 yards in a season and two straight Pro Bowl selections. In 2024, Cook scored a career-high 16 rushing touchdowns, having scored only four in the previous two seasons.

Like Benford, Cook is in the final year of his rookie contract, with a cap hit of approximately $5.7 million in 2025. Cook has already stated that he is looking to secure a contract in the $15 million per year range.

The Bills have extended contracts for Josh Allen, Greg Rousseau, Khalil Shakir, and Terrel Bernard this offseason. While Buffalo has some tough decisions to make in the NFL Draft, the most critical moves remain re-signing Benford and Cook to secure the next five years for the Bills.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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