AP

The Cowboys want quarterback Dak Prescott to accept a team-friendly deal, and the notion that Prescott wants $34 million per year won’t win his agents many friends at team headquarters — even if it’s not really $34 million.

Former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin realizes that, whatever the number, time is not the team’s friend.

“Every minute you wait, it’s costing money,” Irvin told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Friday. “This is an asset that’s trending in the right direction. You got to pay him this money. Dak’s agents aren’t gonna let you come in under Carson Wentz. If they don’t pay Dak, we can all pack it up and go home. It’s over. How are you going to get anything out of the other guys if they’re seeing that you aren’t taking care of the top guy? Why should I give you all I got? You got to be smart about this, and this is a no-brainer.”

Irvin had equally strong comments earlier this week, when speaking to reporters.

“There’s no doubt in my mind Dak is the right guy,” Irvin said, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Look at these teams. I mean, people stop it. Look at these damn teams, Dolphins, Jaguars. They’ve been looking for a quarterback for almost fifteen to twenty years. This ain’t easy to find. It’s not easy to find and you don’t let one walk out the door if you got one.”

The problem is that there’s a nagging sense that Prescott doesn’t land in the category of guys who merit whatever it takes to keep them around.

“When you have the heart and soul and leader of your team at the quarterback position, I don’t know why we’re talking about his money,” Irvin added. “That’s worth $15 [million to] 20 million, by itself, a year. Now you got to pay him to play football also. I mean, let’s be real here. It shouldn’t even be a discussion when we talk about it, and the amount of wins this man has had, and the way he’s won football games. It shouldn’t even be a discussion. It really shouldn’t.”

But it is, primarily because: (1) the Cowboys have plenty of other guys to pay; (2) Prescott never has been embraced as a true “franchise” quarterback (even though he should be); and (3) the team and some media/fans think Prescott should take less because of the additional benefits of playing quarterback for the Cowboys.

In the end, the question becomes whether Prescott will accept or reject the team’s best offer, whatever it may be. And that’s back to Irvin’s original point: It behooves the Cowboys to get the best offer on the table ASAP, because that best offer is only going to look worse as other quarterbacks sign their long-term deals.