James Cook skipped his third straight practice and refused to play Saturday, cementing the severity of his contract standoff with the Buffalo Bills in the final season of his rookie deal

Bills coach Sean McDermott was able to convince running back James Cook to suit up and take a couple of handoffs in pregame warmups.

James Cook dressed in uniform to warm up prior to the Bills preseason opener Saturday at Highmark Stadium after Buffalo’s top running back sat out the final four practices of training camp in a contract standoff with the team.