Texans, Dalton Schultz agree to 3-year deal: Veteran TE avoids free agency, stays in Houston with C.J. Stroud

The Houston Texans and Dalton Schultz have agreed to a deal to keep the tight end around for the near future. The two sides agreed to a three-year deal, as confirmed by CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones. The contract is worth $36 million with $23.5 million guaranteed at signing, per NFL Media. 

As a main target for quarterback C.J. Stroud, this is good news for their offense.

After signing a one-year, $6.2 million contract with the team last offseason, the 27-year-old had the third-most receiving yards on the team (635) and was third in touchdowns (five). He finished the season second in targets (88) and receptions (59), trailing only wide receiver Nico Collins in both categories. 

In his career, Schultz has 270 receptions for 2,757 yards and 22 touchdowns in 90 games. He has missed just four games in the past four years.

Schultz is entering his second season with the Texans, as he spent the first five years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys. There were a lot of unknowns for the Texans heading into 2023, with a rookie quarterback in Stroud, a new head coach in DeMeco Ryans, and a dreadful 3-13-1 season in 2022.

The Texans exceeded all expectations, finishing 10-7 and earning a playoff spot for the first time since 2019. Heading into the 2024 season, they are only predicted to get better. Bringing back Schultz, who already has proven to gel well with Stroud, will go a long way towards this offense continuing to have success.