FRISCO – Upon the Jones family’s takeover of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry and oldest son Stephen immersed themselves as quickly as possible into the day-to-day operations of an NFL franchise. Among the focus points for Stephen: Learning the art of contract negotiations from team exec Bob Ackles, a key aide to GM Tex Schramm. And among the lessons stressed by the late Ackles to a then-25-year-old Stephen?

“The first guy to pick up the phone,” Ackles said, “just lost the negotiations.” Some things about “The Art of the Deal” have changed in 30 years, thanks to free agency and the salary cap. Indeed, part of Ackles’ job back then was to save the owner’s cash; now it’s about cap allocation. But ultimately, it’s still about “winning” – which brings us to “Dak Prescott vs. the Cowboys” … and negotiations we are told are about to get underway.

Sources tell us that the two sides are “ready” to visit, and the calendar tells us the same thing.

The quarterback is entering the final year of his four-year, $160 million deal he signed in 2021. Prescott currently has a $59.4 million cap hit in 2024, and while the Cowboys could leave that be, doing so would a) hinder their ability to spend elsewhere in roster-building and b) mean Dak will be free to leave Dallas in free agency after 2024.

That was not Dallas’ original plan; the idea was always to restructure. But especially if agent Todd France pushes for Prescott to become the highest-paid player in NFL history (at say $60 million APY?), Dallas could balk and take its chances. There is a third option, which involves moving the money by adding voidable years. That’s a Band-aid as it would buy Dallas cap room with Prescott playing as a lame duck.

The solutions aren’t obvious, but the bargaining chips may be. The Cowboys can use their newfound fancy word “holistic” to counter and pressure Dak to give up on taking a sizable portion of the cap pie. Meanwhile, the extension deadline approaches, with Dallas needing to be cap-compliant by March 13. There are other ways to get there, but in the best case scenario, a decision regarding Prescott’s salary needs to be made by then. And it most definitely needs to change.

Is Dak “worth” the same as top-paid QBs Joe Burrow ($55 million APY) and Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert ($52 million APY)? That’s not really the point.

This negotiation is going to be about the cost of doing “star QB” business … and whether Dallas chooses to do it long-term.

And it will be about a ticking clock, which is why a negotiation-launching phone call is about to be made.

“Once the season is over, we will focus on that,” Stephen said a little while back in previewing what’s to come. “Dak will be our quarterback.”

Bob Ackles taught of a “Game of Chicken”-like philosophy; It still applies. Jerry has a related mindset, framed by one of his most famous quotes: “Deadlines make deals.”

But now March 13 is on the horizon. Somebody’s got to call somebody. Because the deadline is coming.