FRISCO, Texas — With the first four games of the 2025 season now in the rearview, there are several players the Dallas Cowboys can deem eligible to return from injured reserve as they prepare to visit the New York Jets in their Week 5 bout this weekend — Jonathan Mingo and Caelen Carson getting the first nods in the bunch.
Both were moved to the reserve list ahead of the regular season due to knee injury, and both have now officially had their 21-day practice window activated by head coach Brian Schottenheimer and the Cowboys, and not a moment too soon.
Currently, the offense is without Lamb due to an ankle sprain — KaVontae Turpin also potentially set to miss some time with a foot injury suffered in the Week 4 tie with the Green Bay Packers — an area Mingo could help shore up, when fully cleared.
"I'm just excited to have Jonathan out there again," said Schottenheimer. "I know he's really excited. He has not played football in a while but, you know, I know he's really, really excited, so we'll see how he does. … He's been working incredibly hard in the classroom, spending time with the walkthroughs and things like that.
"Hey, we're not gonna force anything. We're gonna be smart with what's in the best interest of the players, but he's clamoring to play."
The same can be said for Carson, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during his rookie campaign only to begin training camp in Oxnard with high hopes that were dashed by a hyperextended knee in Southern California.
With their practice window activated, the Cowboys have 21 days to either activate both Mingo and Carson to the 53-man roster, and to then make corresponding moves to create room for their arrival, or they will revert to season-ending injured reserve, per league rules.
Their windows will effectively close on Oct. 22, following the Cowboys' first matchup of the season against the Washington Commanders, and ahead of their clash with the Broncos in Denver.
