Dalton Schultz News

The Houston Texans are signing tight end Dalton Schultz to a one-year contract worth up to $9 million, Tom Pelissero reports. The Texans have struggled to find a consistent producer at the tight end position for over a decade, but the addition of Schultz to their offense could hopefully provide a reliable pass-catching option for whichever rookie quarterback the team drafts in the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Dallas Cowboy was able to find surprising production over the past three seasons with the team despite their crowded receiving rooms. Schultz played on the franchise tag for the Cowboys last season, and his 57 catches for 577 yards and 5 touchdowns were his lowest receiving marks since 2019. Even in a down year, his 577 yards were more than a Texans tight end has produced in 10 years.

Per Pelissero, Schultz is slated to land a one-year deal with Houston worth up to $9 million. In 15 games with the Cowboys last season, Schultz logged a 57-577-5 stat line on 89 targets. With the Texans, Schultz is in line to take over as the team's top pass-catching tight end, a context that should provide the 26-year-old with enough volume in 2023 to continue to maintain fantasy relevance in his new locale.

Schultz wasn't particularly efficient with his 10 targets, but he was able to convert Dallas' lone touchdown in a low-scoring affair. The 25-year-old saw his numbers take a hit after a breakout fantasy campaign in 2021, finishing with a 57-577-5 receiving line this regular season after posting 78-808-8 last year. Schultz did get hot in the playoffs, scoring three touchdowns in just two contests. Dallas used its franchise tag on Schultz last offseason, but that scenario is unlikely to repeat, making the tight end an unrestricted free agent in 2023.

The veteran tight end was the surprising leader in receptions, receiving yards and targets while also finding the end zone from 22 and 11 yards out in first and second quarters, respectively. Schultz was a consistent target down the stretch for Dak Prescott with at least four catches in seven of his last 11 regular-season games, and given Monday night's numbers, he figures for a solid role once again in Sunday's divisional-round road matchup against the tough 49ers defense.

It was a brutal day for the entire Cowboys' offense, but Schultz was still able to scratch out some PPR value and catch multiple passes for the 11th straight game. Heading into a wild-card round clash with the Buccaneers, the tight end will look to match or exceed his production from the teams' Week 1 meeting, when Schultz turned nine targets into seven catches for 62 yards.

The talented tight end took advantage of a defense that was already highly vulnerable to his position at full strength, and even more so with multiple starters sitting out Thursday. Schultz scored from six and 10 yards out in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, to record his second multi-touchdown tally of the campaign. Schultz, who crossed the 50-catch threshold for the third straight season with Thursday's production, will look to put together a strong start to the regular season in the Week 18 road matchup versus the Commanders a week from Sunday.