TE Dalton Schultz signs 1-year deal with Texans
Dalton Schultz got his payday, though it’s not quite what some observers were projecting for the five-year veteran.
The tight end, who will turn 27 in July, is moving across the state to play for the Houston Texans. The team, who has not made the playoffs since the 2019 season, signed Schultz on Monday to a one-year deal worth up to $9 million.
Schultz finished second among all Cowboys last season in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, while playing out 2022 on a $10.9 million franchise tag. A second tag this year would have cost Dallas over $13 million, and some estimates had predicted an average annual salary for the former fourth-round pick of $15 million.
Previous reports suggested that the Cowboys had offered the Stanford product a three-year, $36 million deal that he declined, but Schultz’s agent released a statement on Twitter on Monday calling that development “100% inaccurate.”
In the end, Schultz settled for considerably less.
Ex-Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz reached a one-year contract with Texans, worth up to $9M, a person familiar with deal said. Dallas franchise tagged Schultz last year, pushing his free agency into a tough market; clubs looking ahead to deep TE draft. Schultz can try again in 2024.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 20, 2023
Schultz’s departure seemed to have been a foregone conclusion for the Cowboys, who saw good production from rookies Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot last season and used this year’s franchise tag instead on running back Tony Pollard.
Dallas could still supplement with a tight end in this year’s draft; several outlets have mocked Dalton Kincaid out of Utah to the Cowboys in the first round.
As for Schultz, he’ll join wide receiver and Cowboys teammate Noah Brown as newcomers in Houston as first-time head coach DeMeco Ryans begins a rebuild there. The team’s leading pass-catcher in 2022, Brandin Cooks, was just acquired by Dallas in a trade.
Schultz figures to likely step immediately into the starting role at tight end, where O.J. Howard started 10 games last year for Houston. Jordan Akins finished third among Texans receivers, however, with 37 catches, 495 receiving yards, and a team-best five touchdowns.
