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Cooper: Dak 'definitely' deserves to be among highest-paid QBs

Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Dallas Cowboys will eventually need to hand over mammoth deals to two members of their star-studded trio if they hope to secure the long-term future of the offense.

Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper are both entering contract years, and while some question whether the quarterback is worth a hefty extension, his No. 1 target believes he's worth every cent of a deal that could pay the signal-caller more than $30 million per year.

"Most quarterbacks don't have the best bodies or probably really don't care much about the weight room because they're more on the cerebral side of the game," Cooper said Monday on ESPN's "First Take." "But this guy takes every rep seriously. He doesn't miss a rep and I think that's a big part of who he is. He's just a competitor, he wants to do everything the right way.

"I haven't played with too many guys like Dak Prescott, so I think he definitely deserves everything that's coming to him. He definitely deserves to be paid amongst the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has repeatedly said he's willing to essentially write a blank check for Prescott. The general parameters for a possible megadeal were set when the Philadelphia Eagles gave Carson Wentz - who was drafted alongside Prescott in 2016 - a four-year, $128-million extension at the start of June, making him the NFL's fourth-highest-paid player with an average annual salary of $32 million.

The two quarterbacks have similar stats through three seasons, and while Wentz has the draft pedigree, Prescott has proven to be far more durable - having not missed a single start - and has won the second-most regular-season games to only Tom Brady since entering the league in 2016.

Prescott would become the sixth player in NFL history to earn at least $30 million per season if he receives the expected deal.

- With h/t to NFL.com

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