FRISCO, Texas — Jonathan Mingo scored the first touchdown of his NFL career Saturday in Arizona. He has also worked as a gunner and as a returner this training camp, four days before the Dallas Cowboys have to set a 53-man roster. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer went through both Wednesday at The Star.
Being drafted high in Carolina and then traded is not easy, Schottenheimer said, and players work through it at different stages and for different reasons.
“Could not be more proud of Jonathan,” Schottenheimer said. “Everybody, they figure it out at different stages of their career for different reasons. Being selected high like he was in Carolina and then being traded, that’s not easy. I mean, believe me, you’re talking to guys who have been fired a lot. And so you kind of like start second-guessing yourself and whatnot. But he’s figured it out, and he’s not just done it on offense. He’s done it in another phase, which is really important to us, and that’s special teams, whether it’s a gunner, whether it’s a returner. He’s figured out what creates value on a football team, and that’s versatility.”
It has not been one or two plays for Mingo, Schottenheimer said, and it has not come from a single moment where something clicked.
“I can’t speak for him, but I do know that sometimes when you’re sent to a different team, there’s guys that they attack it one way and there’s guys that attack it a different way,” Schottenheimer explained. “And for whatever reason, I think he just said, hey, it’s time for me to go do this. He’s incredibly talented. He’s incredibly gifted. It’s been really fun for us to see him put it all together. It’s not been one or two plays. It’s been every day.”
Jonathan Mingo’s First NFL Touchdown
The 53-yard catch came with 3:43 left in the first quarter of the 34-13 win on Aug. 22. Mingo had played 38 regular-season games since 2023 without scoring. He caught two of three targets for 62 yards in the game, took 18 offensive snaps and seven on special teams, and fair caught the only Arizona punt of the first half.
Carolina drafted Mingo in the second round in 2023, 39th overall from Ole Miss. His rookie contract was worth $8.86 million over four years. He started 14 games as a rookie and caught 43 passes for 418 yards. In 2024 he had 12 catches for 121 yards over nine games. Dallas traded for him on Nov. 5, 2024. Carolina got a 2025 fourth-round pick, and Dallas got Mingo and a 2025 seventh-rounder.
This is the last year of that rookie deal. Mingo agreed this offseason to remove an $812,000 workout bonus from the contract. He played 80 offensive snaps for Dallas in 2025, 6.75% of the team’s total, and 45 on special teams.
Mingo is listed at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds at the 2023 combine. A groin injury limited him through the offseason program this spring.
Where Jonathan Mingo Sits In The Receiver Room
The receiver room behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens also includes KaVontae Turpin, seventh-round rookie Anthony Smith, and undrafted rookie Camden Brown, who has five catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns this preseason.
Dallas closes the preseason against New Orleans on Friday at 7 p.m. CT at AT&T Stadium on CBS locally. Rosters must be at 53 players by 5 p.m. CT Sunday, Aug. 30.
