Dalton Schultz

Career StatsB+

Year	Team	GP	Rec	Yards	TD
Career		124	405	4,066	27
2025		17	82	777	3
2024		17	53	532	2
2023		15

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Performance versus salary tier earns Dalton Schultz a B- Contract Value Index, with cap structure shaping the verdict. The one-year, $12.6M deal reflects a tight-end market where above-average starters at his production level typically command mid-tier AAV, and Schultz's 2025 season—777 receiving yards across 17 games—aligns squarely with that tier: reliable, consistent, and void of explosive upside. His B+ performance grade validates the Texans' organizational confidence in him as a starter, though the accompanying B sentiment underscores that he's perceived as a complementary piece rather than a cornerstone investment. At 29 years old in his eighth season, Schultz occupies the established-veteran phase where durability and role consistency matter more than development trajectory, which actually stabilizes the value proposition—there's no expectation of growth, only dependable execution. The NFL-mandated contract restructuring requirement clouds what should have been a straightforward one-year commitment, introducing unnecessary administrative friction that slightly suppresses the value grade despite leaving Schultz's reputation unscathed. For a team in the AFC South playoff picture with a 12-5 record, this deal represents pragmatic roster construction: paying market rate for a known quantity who earns his paycheck and his teammates' trust without overcommitting resources that could address roster gaps.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the B band — a quick read on where Dalton's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

The B+ performance grade on Dalton Schultz reflects how his statistical baseline holds against the tight end field. In the 2025 season, Schultz posted 777 receiving yards across all 17 games, confirming he's a durable, functional starter who regularly sees targets in Houston's passing attack—the kind of floor production that separates above-average starters from replacement-level depth. His tackle output (2 tackles across 17 games) is minimal and typical for a pass-catcher rather than an indicator of his primary value, which is pure receiving production. The real weakness baked into this grade is the absence of explosive plays or touchdown upside; 777 yards over a full season speaks to volume and consistency rather than the elite efficiency or red-zone dominance that would push him into Pro Bowl-caliber territory. At 29 and eight seasons into his career, Schultz is an established veteran holding steady in his role as a reliable starter, exactly the profile that earns a B+ rather than an A—a player who does his job well enough that the organization extended him for one more year at $12.6M, but not so spectacularly that his name generates trade speculation or national headlines. The media framing reinforces this assessment: Schultz is respected as a professional and locker-room voice, but his perception remains fundamentally that of a complementary piece in Houston's offensive system, not its cornerstone.

How Dalton Compares at the Position

Dalton Schultz ranks 19th of 164 graded tight ends by performance. That slots Dalton between Dalton Kincaid (B+) just ahead and Oronde Gadsden (B+) just behind.

Current Sentiment

How the public sees Dalton Schultz shakes out to a B sentiment grade in the rolling 14-day window. The narrative centers on organizational stability—his one-year, $12.6M extension with Houston reads as a straightforward vote of confidence in him as a reliable starting tight end—but that clarity took a hit when an NFL-mandated contract restructuring requirement muddied what should have been a clean offseason story. Media framing positions him as exactly what he is: a dependable, professional starter who fills his role effectively without generating significant buzz in either direction, a perception that tracks perfectly with his solid but unspectacular on-field output of 777 receiving yards across 17 games in the 2025 season. His public defense of C.J. Stroud's postseason struggles earned genuine credit as a locker room voice, but it also inadvertently spotlighted the offensive limitations that analysts continue to circle heading into next season. The Texans' recent moves—signing Foster Moreau at tight end and reinforcing the interior offensive line with Wyatt Teller and Evan Brown—subtly reinforce the perception that Schultz is one complementary piece in a system being actively built rather than the centerpiece anchoring it. After eight seasons without a Pro Bowl nod, the narrative on Schultz is essentially settled: an above-average starter who earns his paycheck, earns his teammates' trust, and earns just enough media goodwill to keep the conversation from turning negative—but not enough to make it compelling.