OXNARD, CA – The message from the Dallas Cowboys faithful was crystal clear during the team's recent training camp kickoff: "Pay Micah!"

Fans gathered for the Opening Day Ceremony in Oxnard made their voices heard, interrupting team owner Jerry Jones' public address with chants demanding a lucrative contract extension for superstar linebacker Micah Parsons. But for the notoriously confident Cowboys owner, those impassioned pleas were apparently nothing more than a whisper in the wind.

In a stunning response that is sure to send ripples through the fanbase, Jones downplayed the intensity of the chants, dismissing them as a "faint little sound."

"I heard it light, but not compared to how I heard them say, 'Pay Lamb (last year),'" Jones told ESPN, immediately drawing a stark comparison to the contract saga involving star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb just one offseason ago. "That was a faint little sound compared to the way they were hollering last year, 'Pay Lamb.'"

Jones characterized last year's fan demands for Lamb as a "big loud chant," a pressure campaign that ultimately concluded with Lamb signing a massive four-year, $136 million extension after a season where he led the NFL in receptions.

Now, the spotlight is firmly on Parsons, a generational talent and four-time Pro Bowler who is the undisputed heart of the Dallas defense. Reports suggest that Parsons is seeking a market-setting contract that could exceed $40 million annually, a figure that would make him one of the highest-paid defensive players in league history. The fans' chants were a direct endorsement of that effort, a clear signal to the front office to secure their cornerstone player for the long term.

Jones' comments, however, serve as a calculated public counter. By framing the fan support for Parsons as weaker than it was for Lamb, he may be attempting to temper expectations and send a message to Parsons' camp about their negotiating position. It's a classic power play from one of the NFL's most shrewd businessmen, subtly questioning whether the public pressure to get a deal done is truly at a fever pitch.

While Jerry Jones may have only heard a "faint little sound," the conversation surrounding Micah Parsons' future in Dallas is growing louder by the day. The fans have made their desires known, and now they must wait to see if the front office heeds their call or if this contract standoff is just getting started.