Sean McDermott makes feelings known on James Cook amid Bills RB's $15,000,000 contract demand

The Buffalo Bills came agonizingly close to ending the Kansas City Chiefs' two-year reign but fell just short as AFC Champions as they lost 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium.

It was another excellent campaign for the team, who inched closer to getting over that hump and ending the franchise's three-decade-long wait for a Super Bowl appearance. They intend to run it back next season with largely the same roster, but retaining James Cook will cost a fortune.

The running back, who rushed for over 1,000 yards for the second straight season, led the league in touchdowns with 16. The 25-year-old is entering the final year of his rookie deal with the franchise and is reportedly seeking a massive $15 million-a-year deal before the season commences.

If the Bills adhere to Cook's demands, he'd become the second-highest-paid running back in the league behind Christian McCaffrey, who earns $16 million a year. Buffalo's front office might be slightly apprehensive about handing out a huge extension to the running back.

However, head coach Sean McDermott has hinted that he'd want the team to offer him a new deal and keep him in Buffalo for the foreseeable future. During a press conference ahead of the NFL Combine, he was asked about Cook's importance to the team. He replied:

"When you are a coach, and you are on the field with these players, and you are in the meetings and you are watching them develop on the field, off the field, [Cook] is one of the examples of the joys that come with coaching. Watching a young man develop in both of those areas... It’s a great feeling as a coach to watch a young man do what he did.. the business part is going to take care of itself.”

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James Cook on future with the Bills

After pinning a comment on an Instagram livestream that said he wanted a new contract worth $15 million per year, James Cook appeared on Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe and retired wide receiver Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson's Nightcap podcast to explain why he named his asking price. He said:

"I’m gonna stand on what I stand on. I don’t want to feel like a cancer at all ‘cause I don’t like that attention. That’s not me, honestly. I’m just standing on business, man, and what I deserve." [From 32:15]

The Bills are $19.6 million above the cap limit and will have to rework contracts and shed some salaries before March 12th to be in a position to offer the running back a new deal. If they fail to make enough room and Cook refuses to lower his demands, Buffalo could be forced to part ways with him.