Nearly forgotten Dallas Cowboys trade could reach unfortunate end before the 2026 season even begins
This Dallas Cowboys trade didn’t pan out the way everyone hoped. And it could result on a roster cut very soon.
Everyone is talking about that one wide receiver the Dallas Cowboys recently traded for, George Pickens. Understandably so. On the heels of an All-Pro season, Pickens is expected to enter negotiations for a long-term deal, and we know how those go in Dallas.
However, there’s another wide receiver on the Cowboys roster who was acquired via trade that seems to be all but forgotten. And his time in Dallas could be over before the 2026 NFL season even begins.
Cowboys WR faces uphill battle
I’m talking about Jonathan Mingo, whom the Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick for in 2024. At the time, the Cowboys sold it as a long-term play. They were known to like Mingo coming out of the NFL Draft in 2023, and they saw him as a developmental wide receiver who could start for them in 2025.
Instead, he played six games and was targeted five times for one catch. There are many things that didn’t go Mingo’s way.
First and foremost, the truth is he didn’t live up to the expectations placed on him coming out of college. And while a fresh start in Dallas could have been the change he needed, the Cowboys got Pickens six months later. The latter quickly rose to stardom, establishing himself as a co-one alongside CeeDee Lamb.
And here’s the kicker: Second-year wide receiver Ryan Flournoy had a meteoric rise to WR3.
Flournoy finished the season with 40 catches for 475 yards, and four touchdowns. The former sixth-round pick showed a productive combo of size and speed plus a knack for finding yards after the catch. By the end of the year, he was the unquestioned third starter at the position. I wouldn’t bet on that changing in 2026.
Simply put, the Mingo trade aged poorly. And assuming Pickens returns for at least one more year, the Cowboys wide receiver room is crowded enough to question if Mingo will be a part of it this year. Here are four wideouts I would expect to be a shoe-in before him:
- CeeDee Lamb
- George Pickens
- Ryan Flournoy
- KaVontae Turpin (for special teams value)
WR is usually a position the Cowboys hit hard in undrafted free agency, so all it takes is one standout to push Mingo off the roster.
Potential salary cap savings
Unfortunately, cutting Mingo wouldn’t provide the Cowboys with plenty of salary cap relief.
Though he has zero guaranteed salary left on his deal, there would be no dead money involved. According to Over the Cap, releasing Mingo would yield $1.96 million in cap space.
If the Cowboys turn the page on this trade, it will be because of roster math, not because of the cap.
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