Despite their 3-5 record, the Dallas Cowboys are taking a “buying” approach at the trade deadline rather than “selling,” acquiring Panthers wide receiver Jonathan Mingo.
Dallas is trading a 2025 fourth-round pick to Carolina in exchange for Mingo and a 2025 seventh-rounder, according to NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, who reported the deal on Tuesday. The Cowboys later confirmed the trade.
Mingo, 23, was selected by the Panthers in the second round (39th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he started 14 of 15 games, recording 43 receptions on 85 targets for 418 yards. However, his role has diminished in 2024, with Mingo playing about half the offensive snaps and registering 12 catches for 121 yards in nine games (five starts).
Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 220 pounds, Mingo has yet to score a touchdown in his first 24 NFL games. In the one game he played against the Cowboys, Mingo made one reception for 6 yards on six targets in Week 11 of last season.
Before the trade was reported on Tuesday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hinted at the move during his weekly radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. Jones mentioned the team’s plan to acquire a receiver they had liked prior to the draft but were unable to secure—likely referring to Mingo. The Cowboys eventually selected tight end Luke Schoonmaker in the second round of the 2023 draft.
“We’re not selling. We will make that case,” Jones said ahead of the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline on Tuesday. “We’re buying, not selling.”
Mingo played four years at Ole Miss, totaling 112 catches for 1,758 yards (an average of 15.7 yards per catch) and 12 touchdowns in 41 games. His stock rose after a strong performance at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, completed 22 bench-press reps, and recorded a 10-foot-9 broad jump and a 39.5-inch vertical jump.
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Dak Prescott, quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, to undergo season-ending surgery for torn hamstring
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery on his partially torn hamstring, pending the opinion of a final specialist. Prescott will consult with the specialist in New York, although Cowboys doctors believe the surgery is necessary, which would sideline him for four months. The Cowboys have not placed Prescott on injured reserve at this time.
As the team prepares for the second half of the season, “Prescott is flying to New York to meet with the specialist, but Cowboys doctors already believe he needs the surgery that would sideline him four months,” according to Schefter. In Prescott’s absence, the Cowboys are expected to feature quarterback Cooper Rush for their upcoming game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Currently, Dallas holds a 3-5 record, 2.5 games behind the Green Bay Packers for the final NFC wild-card spot, with Prescott entering his ninth season with the team. Trey Lance will start at quarterback in their next game, with Rush serving as the backup.
The Cowboys are also considering signing another quarterback to the active roster or placing one on the practice squad. The team doesn’t believe it needs to alter its offense to accommodate Rush, as they have averaged 25 points per game with him at quarterback. Additionally, expect some packages with Lance this season, as both Rush and Lance are in their contract year. Prescott now becomes the second consecutive Cowboys quarterback to end the season on injured reserve.
With a 65.4% completion rate, Prescott ranks sixth all-time in completion percentage among players with at least 1,500 pass attempts, and ninth in the NFL’s all-time regular season career passer rating. Initially a backup in his rookie season, Prescott stepped in for the injured Tony Romo and led the Cowboys to the top of the NFC. He set multiple rookie quarterback records, earning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Since then, Prescott has guided the Cowboys to three division titles and has been named to the Pro Bowl three times. In 2022, he also won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.
