Mingo has been a slow burn since coming to Dallas, but this offseason, he's making people take notice.
Dallas Cowboys receiver Jonathan Mingo has been the punchline of jokes since the franchise traded for him back in 2024 with a fourth-round pick going to Carolina.
We hardly saw him under Mike McCarthy, with just five catches for 46 yards in eight games, and last season under Brian Schottenheimer, just one catch for 25 yards.
As such, Mingo entered the offseason well and truly on the roster bubble, but all he has done is stack good days of production on top of another.
And when the preseason games rolled around, he proved to be a dependable target.
Against the Seattle Seahawks, two catches for 20 yards, and then against the Arizona Cardinals, a 53-yard touchdown grab as Joe Milton hit Mingo in stride signaled to Cowboys Nation that the receiver deserves a spot on the roster in 2026.
And for Mingo, this offseason has all been about one thing.
"Really this training camp been trying to stack days," Mingo said. "I've been feeling healthy this training camp, been trying to take advantage of it, just going out there, not being too high, not being too low. Just trying to put good days on top of each other and just staying patient, and the work going to come."
While his efforts in Seattle were serviceable, his touchdown grab against the Cardinals made everyone sit up and take notice.
In fact, it was his first-ever NFL touchdown, so that's something.
But what it did was show the coaching staff and Cowboys Nation that he can be a weapon when given the chance, and after a couple of tough seasons, Mingo was happy to get some production on the field.
"Feel good," Mingo said on his touchdown. "Got to stay patient, everybody role not the same, but just keep putting good days on top of each other, keep trying to show the coaches I'm a reliable target."
So far, so good.
But ...
Dallas might just keep five receivers, meaning Mingo is jousting with Camden Brown for that last spot.
Could they cut one of them? It's been suggested that Mingo could get traded; is there a market there? Would that be his "reward''?
There's no denying Mingo has done good things through two preseason games, but for most, that still hasn't solidified his spot on the roster. To be sure of that, as head coach Brian Schottenheimer has stated, it's work on special teams that might boost him.
And for Mingo, his play against Seattle that saw him track down a Seahawks returner in a run that started at the Seahawks' 15-yard line and went all the way to the Cowboys' 35-yard line to make a tackle made waves.
"Special teams the way you make the team," he added. "So, I'm trying to go out there and make plays wherever I can."
