Before the franchise tag window closed, the Houston Texans were able to sign one of their top offensive playmakers, keeping another weapon in the fold for budding star quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Texans and big-play tight end Dalton Schultz were able to strike a deal tying the productive pass catcher to Houston for the foreseeable future.
Dalton Schultz Re-Signs With Houston Texans
Schultz was widely viewed as one of the best available tight ends set to hit the free agent open market at the start of the new league year on March 13.
However, according to multiple reports, the Texans put a stop to that as they have agreed to terms on a deal to keep Schultz in Houston. He gets a new three-year, $36 million contract with $23.5 million fully guaranteed at signing. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport had the signing first.
Schultz signed a one-year, prove-it deal in Houston after playing on the franchise tag with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022. Schultz bet on himself over the last two seasons, and it’s paid off with a lucrative new deal.
With his new deal having an average annual salary of $12 million per year, Schultz finds himself as the 12th-highest-paid tight end in the NFL, securing himself a pay bump, while also allowing the Texans to keep production in-house without breaking the bank for it.
Schultz previously played on a one-year, $10.9 million deal. With this new contract, he gets stability in the form of more years added as well as a bump in yearly salary. The 27-year-old TE looks to have found the home he was searching for when he came to Houston and proved he made the right move by betting on himself over the last two seasons.
Best Available Free Agent Tight Ends
With Schultz now off the market and staying in Houston, it changes the landscape of the available TE market. With the value of having a quality tight end never being more evident than right now, teams are going to prioritize the position via free agency and through the draft.
Schultz was Pro Football Network’s Dallas Robinson’s No. 1 available tight end heading into the new league year. With him now unavailable, there will be a change at the top.
Next up is Seattle Seahawks’ free agent tight end Noah Fant, who looks to now garner even more attention than before as he becomes the best available at the position.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Free Agent Rankings
Robinson mentions, “One could easily see why having a quality target down the seam could be valuable. Unfortunately, the free agent group available to NFL teams this year is short on that impact.”
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