ESPN analysts shred Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys after Jonathan Mingo trade: 'This season is over'

ESPN analysts couldn’t believe the Cowboys traded for Jonathan Mingo at the deadline. The former Carolina Panthers receiver coming over did little for Stephen A. Smith and Louis Riddick, among others.

With an injury to Dak Prescott, where he could miss a month, trading for a wide receiver was seen as a curious move for Jerry Jones and the franchise. Jones revealed the team previously wanted to draft Mingo in last year’s draft.

But Smith wasn’t buying it, calling the 2024 season over for the Cowboys.

“He got 12 receptions for a little over 100 yards, no touchdowns, playing for the Carolina Panthers,” Smith said on First Take. “I’m just so touched. I mean, wow. This was gonna be a world of difference. It’s going to make a world of difference for the Cowboys. I mean, this season is over. It’s done. Okay? They should be selling. They should take the rest of the damn season, to be quite honest with you.”

Mingo, 23, gets a fresh start in Dallas after an underwhelming start to his career in Carolina. Mingo hauled in 43 receptions for 418 yards last season. He has just 12 catches for 121 yards nine games into the 2024 campaign. Mingo has yet to record his first career touchdown.

Another one who questioned the Cowboys’ move was Riddick, who could only conclude this was a move for the 2025 season.

“If Dak is gone for the rest of the year, they’re probably going to lose like, four to the next five, five or the next six anyway, they’re going to be out of it, right,” Riddick said on NFL Live. “We don’t even know who the coach is going to be next year for this team. So who are you building a team for? Why are you acquiring this guy? 

“He’s not going to give you any, probably real juice this year, especially when he’s not working with Dak Prescott. So what are they doing? They must be thinking about down the line. What does this do for our football team a year from now? There’s no other way to look at it.”

Heck, Jeff Saturday went off on Wednesday morning, saying there was no awareness for the Cowboys and Jones.

“Let me say this about the Cowboys: self awareness is zero, and I get that, but the Mingo thing I’m with you this is for the future, two years, whatever,” Saturday said on Get Up. “The issue I have with the Cowboys is this, if Zach Martin’s not on your team next year, if Diggs is not on your team next year if Lawrence is not (on the Cowboys next year), then you’ve royally screwed yourself up, because you could have moved those guys to teams that needed those positions, and that would have helped you build for the future. 

“Now, if they’re all back, tip of the cap to you, right? But you’re gonna have to go pay Micah Parsons. But those guys, if that’s still your nucleus, that’s why I don’t think Jerry is self aware, because if you’re bringing Mingo in, are you holding on to all this? Is this the nucleus of your team? They don’t know what the nucleus of their team is, that’s a problem.”