Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones walks on the field before a game.
While there is still plenty of time before the 2022 regular season, it appears as if the Dallas Cowboys and one of their most important weapons are at odds.
Since the Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Dalton Schultz, it has created a primary direction of discussion: will Dallas and owner Jerry Jones give the tight end a new contract before the fall? Or will the Cowboys wait and see how Schultz performs with a high-paying contract and even more money on the line?
Under the franchise tag, Schultz will make $10.9 million this season according to Spotrac. The soon-to-be 26-year-old sat out the team’s optional OTAs to raise urgency on a new contract, but Dallas Morning News reporter Michael Gehlken is now saying that the player and the team are not close on a deal.
“Cowboys and TE Dalton Schultz are not close on an extension,” Gehlken Tweeted on June 24. “Despite his career being emblematic of the franchise’s draft-and-develop ‘lifeline,’ Schultz may have to wait for the long-term contract he’s earned.”
Cowboys and TE Dalton Schultz are not close on an extension. Despite his career being emblematic of the franchise’s draft-and-develop “lifeline,” Schultz may have to wait for the long-term contract he’s earned.
Gehlken believes that Schultz deserves a big contract, but it’s clear that the Cowboys aren’t just willing to give the tight end whatever he wants. Considering how star WR Amari Cooper was traded and longtime tackle La’el Collins was released, being tight with Schultz’s contract shouldn’t really be a surprised.
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Schultz Produces in 2020, 2021
The reason Schultz and the Cowboys are even having these talks is due to the fact that the former Stanford star has become an integral part of the Cowboys offense in the past two seasons. After just 122 total receiving yards in his first two seasons in Dallas, Schultz has exploded since the start of the 2020 season.
After 615 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2020, Schultz followed with 808 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2021 according to Pro Football Reference. Those are solid numbers to say the least, but the Cowboys are probably holding up due to the relatively small sample size and the fact that the Dallas offense is set up to distribute through quarterback Dak Prescott.
Either way, keeping Schultz is likely the most reliable option Dallas has at having a top-tier tight end for the immediate future. Schultz playing on the franchise tag means that a tremendous season would only raise his price, but handing him a large contract this offseason creates the risk of Schultz not producing to the level of his contract.
Browns TE’s Deal Not Helping Cowboys
Part of the reason paying Schultz sooner has upside is that the rest of the NFL free agency and tight end markets continue to push the price up for useful players at that position. The Cleveland Browns handing David Njoku a four-year, $56.75 million contract recently doesn’t help the Cowboys position.
Njoku’s bet season came in 2018, when the tight end caught 56 receptions for 639 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Per PFR, in the three seasons since, Njoku has 729 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Schultz possessing a better overall season in 2021 and his most recent seasons being stronger should mean he gets an equal or better contract to Njoku. The Browns TE is getting just over $14 million per season, which would be a sizable chunk of the Cowboys’ remaining $20 million in cap space.