It only took 1 game for Carolina Panthers to win Jonathan Mingo trade

There weren't many tears shed among Carolina Panthers fans when the team traded wide receiver Jonathan Mingo before the deadline. His debut in different surroundings lent further weight to the claims general manager Dan Morgan made the right call.

Mingo's time in Carolina was underwhelming. The No. 39 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft came into the franchise looking to become a legitimate weapon for quarterback Bryce Young in the passing game. Things didn't go according to plan despite getting plenty of chances to flourish as a rookie.

The new regime wasn't ready to throw in the towel on Mingo after just one season. His outstanding summer led many to believe a more influential campaign was coming for the pass-catcher. It didn't take long to figure out this wouldn't come to fruition.

There was no confidence in Mingo. The emergence of Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette made him surplus to requirements. Many wondered whether the Panthers could find a willing trade partner given his lack of NFL-caliber production. The desperate Dallas Cowboys willingly came forward with an offer Morgan couldn't refuse.

Carolina Panthers received instant vindication for Jonathan Mingo trade

The Cowboys, despite languishing among the league's bottom feeders and quarterback Dak Prescott being out for the season, gave up a fourth-round pick to the Panthers in exchange for Mingo and a seventh-rounder. Jerry Jones felt that his high draft grade during their assessments was enough to justify the move. Carolina didn't hesitate to go in a different direction.

After getting a bedding-in period following the switch, Mingo got his first taste of competitive action in Dallas on Monday Night Football versus the Houston Texans. It was another disastrous evening for a team that always gets hyped beyond comprehension with almost no substance attached.

Mingo's debut followed a similar trend to his experiences in Carolina. He failed to bring any of his four targets, which stemmed from concentration issues and not having consistent enough distribution with Cooper Rush under center. There's still time for his trajectory to change, but this provided immediate vindication to the Panthers regarding the transaction.

Carolina felt comfortable enough moving forward with what they have before deciding on what more might be needed during the 2025 offseason. Regardless of their conclusions, Mingo had no future with the team and was disposed of accordingly.

Coker and Legette are a promising duo. Veteran wideout Adam Thielen's return provides experience and a mentor for the young pass-catchers during their pivotal transition to increased roles. There's also the presence of rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders and the return to health of second-round running back Jonathon Brooks to factor into the equation.

It's not a bad spot for the Panthers' long-term vision to be in. Especially if Young continues to develop into a productive signal-caller following his benching earlier in the campaign.

As for Mingo? He'll look to make the best out of a bad situation in Dallas over their remaining games. But with a new head coach potentially coming into the fold as Mike McCathy's status hangs by a thread, there's just no telling for sure how things will play out.

Considering the intrigue surrounding the former Ole Miss star before the draft, it's been an immense disappointment so far. Whether Mingo can turn it around remains to be seen.

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