This week had Bills fans doing a double-take— James Cook suddenly showed up at practice after skipping time over his contract extension. The guy returned to the field after missing the last week of the training camp and the preseason opener. His holdout raised eyebrows, sure. But he returned, ran routes, and hit the pads, looking like nothing had happened. It wasn’t just about showing up—Cook was sending a message, and analysts were already breaking down how this return might shift the balance in Buffalo’s backfield.

Then, almost immediately after strutting back on the field, Cook locked in a shiny new contract extension—four years, $48 million , with a jaw-dropping $30 million guaranteed. Suddenly, the holdout drama felt worth it, and everyone started asking, “How did this even

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