Updated Oct. 26, 2009 @ 10:14 p.m. ET

The Cowboys have signed OLB DeMarcus Ware to a six-year contract extension worth $78 million, with $40 million guaranteed.

After more than a year of contract talks, the Cowboys and Ware finally came together on the agreement — and right when Ware is heating up. After being held without a sack the first four games, Ware has posted back-to-back two-sack games.

"Going into this negotiation, how do you ask for too much money for DeMarcus Ware given what he's accomplished?" said Ware's agent, Pat Dye. "We were asking for a lot more money than we ended up settling on. ... Ultimately they convinced us they were not going to pay DeMarcus like an elite quarterback, and certainly we understood that."

Ware led the NFL in sacks last season with 20. He has 57½ sacks over his five pro seasons, having not missed a single start in his career.