Season in Jeopardy Before It Begins — Cowboys Young WR Suffers Knee Injury vs Ravens

The buzz inside AT&T Stadium flipped in an instant. What began as a promising preseason showcase turned silent as a wideout who had just electrified the crowd with a highlight catch limped to the sideline, unable to finish what he started.

The moment came in the third quarter, when Dallas dialed up a deep shot down the sideline. The pass connected for 49 yards — a spark that lit up the offense. But as he planted and tumbled through the play, something went wrong. Moments later, trainers were surrounding him, and the sideline mood shifted from excitement to unease.

That player was Jonathan Mingo, a young receiver expected to fight for an expanded role in Mike McCarthy’s offense. His day ended not with celebration, but with a painful walk to the locker room and the official word: knee injury, out for the rest of the game.

“He’s been working so hard and showing flashes of what he can bring,” one teammate said afterward. “To see him go down after a play like that… it’s heartbreaking. We’re all pulling for him.”

For the Cowboys, the timing stings. Mingo had been carving out chemistry with Cooper Rush and Trey Lance during camp, positioning himself as a depth weapon behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks. The preseason was his chance to prove he belonged in the rotation, and he was delivering.

MILTON DEEP BALL TO MINGO pic.twitter.com/M6HJt7ifuJ

— SleeperCowboys (@SleeperCowboys) August 17, 2025

Instead, Dallas is left to wait and hope. Early signs suggest the injury isn’t catastrophic, but in a league where every roster spot is earned by inches, even missing a few weeks can alter a young receiver’s trajectory.

For now, the highlight remains bittersweet — a 49-yard flash of potential overshadowed by the cruel reality of injury. The Cowboys will hope it’s only a pause, not a stop, in what could still be a breakout year.