Cowboys 2026 roster rundown: WR Jonathan Mingo

At this point, the Cowboys sent Carolina a 2025 fourth-round pick in exchange for Mingo and a seventh-rounder. For Dallas, the move came after Brandin Cooks was injured and they weren’t getting the desired results from Jalen Tolbert’s third season, leaving CeeDee Lamb as their only threat at WR. Having been high on Mingo during the 2023 draft, they saw an opportunity to grab a second-year prospect who’d been limited by some tough circumstances in Carolina.

Unfortunately, Mingo remained unproductive in Mike McCarthy’s offense. His playing time was limited, especially after Cooks returned from injury, but he did little with what was thrown his way. Mingo then had to endure another big change when Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams fully took over the offense last season. He suffered further, only appearing in six games and receiving five targets. He finished 2025 with just one 25-yard catch, but up until now has survived the chopping block this offseason.

Contract Status

Years Left: 1
2026 Cap Hit: $1.15 million

This is the final year of Mingo’s rookie deal from Carolina, which is still intact from the trade. But it didn’t go completely untouched this offseason as Dallas and Mingo agreed to the removal of a $812k workout bonus that was part of the original contract. Presumably, the Cowboys must have threatened to release Mingo if he didn’t agree to this change. While not be the best sign for his prospects going forward, it at least bought Mingo the potential opportunity to compete in camp.

2026 Projections

Role: Practice Squad
Roster Chance: 40%

You might be surprised that Mingo is even still with the team at this point. Dallas could have easily released him back in March rather than reworking the deal, which would’ve cleared that full $1.15 million off the cap. But instead they did the restructure, which at least makes you think they are interested in seeing Mingo in camp one last time.

A few things to consider.

One: as we’ve seen from his background, Mingo’s first three years have been professionally tumultuous. He’s already played for four different head coaches and was traded midway through just his second season. 2025 was his only offseason in Dallas, and that was in the middle of another such change. This could go a long way to explaining Mingo’s delayed development, and motivating the Cowboys to see what his first real taste of stability produces.

Two: Mingo is still just 25 years old. This isn’t a guy who was already 24 when he entered the league. Mingo’s youth may have partially contributed to his struggles so far. Even if not, it at least means he has a better chance at untapped potential than man players who are older when their rookie contracts expire.

Three: while Dallas’ top-three WRs are all but set for 2026 with Lamb, George Pickens, and Ryan Flournoy, it’s very murky on the bottom half of the depth chart. His lack of production last year aside, Mingo has as good a shot as other holdovers like Parris Campbell and Traeshon Holden, rookies Anthony Smith and Jordan Hudson, or recently-acquired veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Tyler Johnson. Of all of them, Campbell and Mingo are the only ones who were even Day 2 picks, and Campbell is far more removed from his draft (2o19) than Mingo is.

All that being said, Mingo’s trajectory is hardly upward. While those signings of Johnson and Valdes-Scantling are hardly big news, they’ve both been more productive over the last two years than Mingo. They and Campbell may be more insurance policies against lack of development from younger guys, Mingo included. But that Dallas even brought them, on top of that contract reworking in March, in says they’re still dubious about what Mingo has to offer.

At this point, other options feel like safer bets. We expect KaVontae Turpin to get another year, even if his offensive role is reduced, so that’s another WR spot gone. If a young prospect like Holden, Hudson, or Smith has a strong summer, it’s easy to see them pushing through all of the veterans, including Mingo, for a job. And if Dallas only keeps five total WRs, that means only one of those guys has to deliver to push Mingo and the other older players to the street.

Clearly, Jonathan Mingo is on the thinnest of ice in 2026. His career so far generally takes guys right out of the league, but it appears he’ll at least get one more chance to turn things around. He’s still young enough, and with a real opportunity given Dallas’ thin WR depth chart, to have a decent shot. But he has to start looking like a different player now, perhaps even in the May and June camps and OTAs, or else he may not even be with the team by late July.