Report: Dalton Schultz signs with Texans in NFL free agency

Dalton Schultz has a new deal for the 2024 season as the tight end signed with the Houston Texans in NFL free agency.

“Sources: The #Texans have agreed to terms on a deal to keep TE Dalton Schultz in Houston,” NFL insider Ian Rapoport wrote on Twitter. “He gets a 3-year, $36M new contract with $23.5M fully guaranteed at signing. Schultz is a key weapon for CJ Stroud.”

The former Stanford standout spent the 2023 season with the Houston Texans after five years with the Dallas Cowboys. He started eight of 15 games this past year. Schultz finished with 59 catches for 635 yards, five touchdowns and 10.8 yards per catch.

Over the course of his career, Schultz steadily became more productive. In six years, he has 270 catches, 2,757 yards, 22 touchdowns and 10.2 yards per catch.

The Cowboys selected Schultz with the No. 137 overall pick (fourth round) in the 2018 NFL Draft. Schultz played three varsity seasons at Stanford. He finished his college career with 55 catches, 555 yards, five touchdowns and 10.1 yards per catch.

As a member of the Class of 2014, Schultz was a four-star recruit out of South Jordan (Utah) Bingham, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 2 overall prospect in the state, the No. 1 tight end in the class and the No. 119 overall prospect in the class.

More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2024 calendar year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams can enter into a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits. Following the restricted free agent deadline follows the 2024 NFL Draft, which runs from April 25-27.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. 

If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.