Jonathan Mingo Enters Make-Or-Break Training Camp With Dallas Cowboys

For Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, it is now or never to prove he can earn a role in the offense entering his second training camp with the team.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jonathan Mingo goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dallas Cowboys will take the field for their first practice of training camp in Oxnard, California, in one week, with some crucial positional battles that will impact who makes the roster.

While a majority of the focus has been on the team's revamped defense under Christian Parker, there are some key training camp battles on offense that every fan should keep an eye on.

Left tackle has been a big topic of conversation, with former first-round pick Tyler Guyton trying to hold off former seventh-round pick Nathan Thomas for the starting gig, but there's another competition at wide receiver that could be one of the most heated in Oxnard.

Wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, who was acquired from the Carolina Panthers at the trade deadline during the 2024 season, has yet to find his groove in Dallas. The team gave up a fourth-round pick to acquire the former No. 39 overall pick, and he will have to put together a strong camp to prove he should be kept on the roster.

Could Jonathan Mingo Be On The Outs?

Can Jonathan Mingo finally develop into a reliable fourth option for the Cowboys? Do you think someone else steps up in Oxnard? pic.twitter.com/YmrPEMLsFa

— 105.3 The FAN (@1053thefan) July 22, 2026

After joining the Cowboys in 2024, Mingo recorded just five catches for 46 yards in eight games. Considering he was learning a new offense midseason, it's understandable that the production wasn't there. However, 2025 was another stinker.

Mingo began the 2025 season on injured reserve due to a PCL sprain suffered during the preseason. He was ultimately activated on October 21, but appeared in just six games throughout the year. Mingo hauled in one catch for 25 yards, and was targeted just five times.

Now, with Ryan Flournoy emerging as WR3 in Dallas, Mingo will be competing with All-Pro return specialist KaVontae Turpin and free agent signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling for the WR4 job.

Valdes-Scantling is a two-time Super Bowl champion and brings a veteran presence to the wide receiver room, while Turpin has proven his value and is a lock to make the 53-man roster. So, unless Mingo can put together a strong camp, stay healthy, and carve out a role in the team's explosive offense, he will suddenly find himself on the roster bubble and in jeopardy of searching for his third team in three years.

Dallas arrives in Oxnard on Monday, July 27, and its first practice is set for Wednesday, July 29, so we'll have to see how Mingo hits the ground running in a make-or-break year.

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