Texans’ $36 Million Veteran Loses Spot Before Potentially Critical Season

   

The Houston Texans have a plethora of playmakers at wide receiver and running back, but their group of tight ends is rather polarizing. Dalton Schultz leads the group, and his fall out of the top 10 in ESPN’s polled tight end rankings is rather telling.

Dalton Schultz best prop bets for Texans vs. Cowboys | DraftKings Network

A fourth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2018, Schultz is entering his third season in Houston after signing with the Texans in free agency in 2023.

His fall, however, is not entirely of his doing.

“Schultz had a solid 2024 in which his numbers (53 receptions, 532 yards, 2 TD) were only slightly below his standard career production, but he fell off a Top 10 list that had to make way for names such as Brock Bowers, Trey McBride and Isaiah Likely,” ESPN wrote on July 11. “At age 29, Schultz remains a solid and dependable option for C.J. Stroud over the middle.”

Schultz logged 53 receptions, 532 yards, and 2 touchdowns for the Texans during the 2024 regular season. He checked in at No. 10 in the 2024 survey, with his highest ranking being fourth place.

 

While Schultz’s drop was partly due to new peers joining the fray, it is noteworthy regression for the Texans’ 6-foot-5 playmaker.

Texans TE Dalton Schultz Takes Noteworthy Step Back

Schultz posted a 59-635-5 line in his first campaign with the Texans, signing a three-year, $36 million extension in March 2024.

That makes his drop, in the wake of Stroud’s sophomore slump, even more notable.

“In a battle for Texas, Schultz edged his replacement in Dallas, Jake Ferguson, and many others for a spot in the top 10,” Fowler wrote in July 2024. “Schultz’s play isn’t flashy, but voters who value consistency value him greatly. He committed two drops on 88 targets, one of the top clips among tight ends.

“He’s one of five tight ends to rank in the top eight at the position in catches (257), yards (2,635) and touchdowns (22) since 2020. [Travis] Kelce, [Mark] Andrews, [George] Kittle and [T.J.] Hockenson are the others. That’s good company.”

“He’s just an all-around good player, consistent, blocks, can make contested receptions,” an anonymous AFC evaluator told Fowler about Schultz for the 2024 edition of the annual survey, which included 70 participants this year.

“He affects winning.”

However, Schultz was among those “also receiving votes” this year after being an honorable mention in 2023.

Young Teammates Could Push Dalton Schultz

The Texans can cut Schultz in 2026 with a post-June 1 designation, and save themselves $11.5 million with $2.5 million in dead cap, per Over The Cap, and their young tight ends could help make that decision easier.

Houston is five-deep at the tight end position with training camp opening on July 22.

The group includes recent mid-round draft picks Brevin Jordan and Cade Stover, and former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Irv Smith Jr.

If any of them, or rookie undrafted free agent Luke Lachey, shows something worthwhile during training camp, or even as the season wears on, the Texans could face a complicated decision on Schultz during the 2026 offseason.