Dalton Schultz tabbed as player teams might regret signing to large deal in 2024

The Houston Texans are in a great spot this offseason. They're coming off a surprising year where they went 10-7, won the AFC South, and won a playoff game. They have the seventh-most cap space in the league, per Over the Cap. Lastly, they appear to have found their franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud, who is coming off a phenomenal rookie season.

To help Stroud keep improving, the Texans need to keep surrounding him with talent. This past season, they signed tight end Dalton Schultz to a one-year deal and it played out beautifully for both sides. Schultz had 638 yards and five touchdowns and has expressed interest in returning to Houston for the foreseeable future.

Texans fans would love to have Schultz back. Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report, however, says that whichever team signs Schultz should err on the side of caution when it comes to giving him a big payday, comparing his skillsets to Austin Hooper, another tight end who had previously been inked to a massive deal.

"Schultz hasn't made any Pro Bowls, but the skill sets are similar. Hooper benefited from an offense that opened up the middle of the field and allowed him to pick apart soft spots in the zone to be a reliable threat over the middle of the field, but he didn't make it past his second year with the Browns before being released.
Neither Hooper nor Schultz are dynamic threats in the passing game. Teams shouldn't expect them to stretch the seam or create after the catch. They are who they are and should be paid accordingly.
In Schultz's case, he should benefit financially from a weak positional class. He can be a key cog within any offense. But he's not a difference-maker."

- Brent Sobleski

Would the Texans regret signing Dalton Schultz to a large contract?

Spotrac has Schultz's market value at three years/$34 million with the tight end projected to earn an annual salary of $11.3 million. What the Texans will need to figure out is if they feel Schultz is worthy of this kind of paycheck. Schultz was 12th in tight end receiving yards this past season,

The Texans have the dough to spend on big names in free agency and if keeping Schultz is something they feel can make their team better in 2024 and keep Stroud at his best, then they shouldn't hesitate to sign him to a big deal.