Cowboys activate Jonathan Mingo from IR making the WR room very full

The Dallas Cowboys made a roster transaction Tuesday afternoon. No, it wasn’t the acquisition of Maxx Crosby everyone around Cowboys Nation seems to be hoping for for, but instead it was the decision to activate wide receiver Jonathan Mingo from injured reserve.

Jonathan Mingo was a former second-round pick (39th overall) by the Carolina Panthers back in 2023. He was acquired via trade by the Dallas Cowboys last year on November 5, 2024, costing them a 2025 fourth-round draft pick. He caught just 17 passes for 167 yards last year after arriving in Dallas and has so far spent the entire 2025 season on injured reserve with a PCL strain.

The decision by the Cowboys to add Mingo to the active 53-man roster shouldn’t shake things up much at all, if any as far as the WR depth chart is concerned. CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and KaVontae Turpin all sit atop the depth chart still with Jalen Tolbert and Ryan Flournoy rounding out the group. Mingo is simply another body right now, or is he?

There have been some rumors the Cowboys could be active prior to the 2025 NFL trade deadline on November 4. Already we’ve seen them linked to Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, and there are sure to be other rumors between now and the deadline. And if they are truly looking to be active, Mingo’s recent addition could mean WR Jalen Tolbert now becomes a tradable piece to teams who need more WR help.

Tolbert is coming off a career year in 2024 where he hauled in 49 catches for 610 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. After George Pickens’ addition via trade this year though, he’s only managed to catch 12 passes for 125 yards and no TDs, playing 70.53% of Dallas’ offensive snaps so far. Considering his lack of production and the fact he’s entering the final year of his rookie contract, he could indeed be expendable.

Already it looks as if Ryan Flournoy could be surpassing Jalen Tolbert on the depth chart. He’s played only 29.89% of the Cowboys offensive snaps this year and has already starting to out produce Tolbert with 13 receptions for 179 receiving yards. With his sudden emergence, plus Jonathan Mingo’s return to the active roster, also it seems to indicate Tolbert could be expendable.

This of course is all mere speculation at this point, however, the Cowboys carrying six wide receivers on the 53-man roster now after activating Jonathan Mingo does seem excessive. For all the reasons we’ve already mentioned above, Tolbert certainly looks as if he could be the odd man out and a potential trade piece with the deadline quickly approaching. Only time will tell though.