Just over a year ago, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones pulled off one of his most laughable moves by trading away a fourth-round pick for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo. The deal was mocked at the time, and it's only grown more egregious since.
The former Catolina Panthers wideout has barely seen the field since joining the Cowboys. He's been buried on the depth chart behind late-round picks and undrafted free agents, unable to shake the "mistake" label that was slapped on him upon arrival.
But he may finally get the chance to redeem himself in a crucial Week 12 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. According to a recent report, Mingo has a shot to make his season debut this weekend.
Cowboys receiver Jonathan Mingo could make his season debut against Eagles
At this point, it's painfully clear that Mingo is not the difference-making receiver that Jerry Jones tried to frame him as when this trade went down. In eight games with the team in 2024, he made just five catches for 46 yards. This season, it's been even worse. He hasn't seen the field yet, largely due to a knee injury that he suffered during the preseason. After getting activated from the Injured Reserve in October, the wideout still hasn't appeared in any games.
But according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer, he's making significant progress. Per Cowboys reporter Nick Harris, Schottenheimer said, "We have a number of receivers that we’re confident in. Mingo’s a guy that we’re really excited about, we want to see him play. It’s been a competitive battle between he and a couple of the guys for that last spot. It comes down to not just offense but special teams as well. My big thing for Jonathan has just been, ‘Hey, can you play all of the spots? Can you do all the different areas?’ He understands that’s kind of where he needs to go. There’s a chance he’s activated this week."
The message from the head coach is clear: if Mingo proves that he's capable of filling in wherever the Cowboys need him to, he'll see the field. If not, this frustrating run will likely continue.
The wideout still has plenty of work to do if he's going to rise up the depth chart. He's already behind CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, KaVontae Turpin, Ryan Flournoy, and Jalen Tolbert.
A late-season matchup with the Eagles isn't exactly the most welcoming return to action that Mingo could hope for. Still, he'll need to prove himself quickly to redeem his Cowboys career.