A blast from the past!
Former New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims is making an NFL comeback. ESPN’s Todd Archer revealed that the Dallas Cowboys have signed Mims to the roster.
In addition, the Cowboys have also signed former Jets offensive lineman Chris Glaser to the roster. In a corresponding roster move, the Cowboys have cut another former Jet, defensive back Corey Ballentine.
If that wasn’t enough connective tissue, the Cowboys placed Matt Hennessy on injured reserve. Hennessy is the younger brother of Jets long snapper Thomas Hennessy. Did you catch all of that?
Mims Never Gave up on His NFL Dream
Mims, 28, will turn 29 during the 2026 season. He started his career as the No. 59 overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.
The former Baylor product spent the first three and a half years of his career with the Jets. During that run, he appeared in 30 games and made 15 starts. With those opportunities, Mims was targeted 92 times, catching 42 receptions for 676 receiving yards, but he never scored a touchdown.
Mims had some tough moments with multiple coaching staffs. The conversation centered around Mims’ supposed lack of knowledge of knowing every WR role on offense. Fans argued that the team should have been able to use him in a role, even if he didn’t know how to do everything.
Mims eventually asked for a trade and was shipped off to the Detroit Lions in 2023. He didn’t make the team and was dumped. That started a roller coaster journeyman adventure where Mims spent months with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars.
2024 was the last time Mims was at the NFL level. Most recently, he has spent the last two years in the UFL with the St. Louis Battlehawks and the Dallas Renegades.
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound pass catcher appeared in six games for the Battlehawks in 2025. He caught five receptions for 51 receiving yards. In 2026 for the Renegades, he appeared in five games and finished with six catches for 55 receiving yards.
A New Pipeline to the Big League
The only reason that Mims didn’t fall into obscurity and has a chance at redemption is because of the UFL.
An alternative league has given players a second chance to prove they still have something to offer.
Former NFL backup quarterback Kurt Benkert posted on X, “Man a TON of
@TheUFL players getting signed to NFL teams today. The quality of play in the league saw a big jump this spring.”
There is no direct relationship between the UFL and the NFL. The NFL doesn’t have a Triple-A system or a minor league to develop talent, but there has always been a need for it.
The United Football League has provided a place for players to develop. To see the number of players that have made the jump from that level to the NFL is incredibly encouraging for the future.
We’ll see how many of those UFL transplants end up actually making 53-man rosters across the league, but this is a massive step forward.
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