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| Texans tight end Dalton Shultz |
Dalton Shultz, the Houston Texans tight end, is a man of humility. He’s not one to seek the limelight, preferring to let his hard work on and off the field speak for itself.
It’s a testament to Shultz’s character that, despite being in his second season with the Texans after a five-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys, he is ready to mentor rookie tight end Cade Stover, whom the Texans selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft.
“I like him; he is a hard-working kid,” said Shultz about his first impression of Stover. “He is very eager to learn. I usually get to the meetings pretty early, but he beat me a couple of times. He is a good kid.”
Schultz, 27, was a standout last season, becoming one of quarterback C.J. Stroud’s favorite targets. He finished with an impressive 59 receptions for 635 yards and five touchdowns, showcasing his prowess on the field.
The former fourth-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys signed as an unrestricted free agent with Houston for one year in 2023. His production on the field and locker room presence convinced head coach DeMeco Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio that Shultz was integral to the teams’ success. This past offseason, Shultz signed a three-year $36 million contract to remain one of Stroud’s primary playmakers.
“I wanted to be here,” Schultz said. “I was very adamant with my camp on that. I felt it from when I got here. I talked to you guys (Media) before and here just felt right, and then obviously, we had all that success last year. This is where I wanted to be. I wanted to be a part of something to turn the team around and build something special for the city of Houston. It was where I wanted to be.”
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| Texans rookie tight end Cade Stover |
That mindset and willingness to do everything it takes for the Texans to win are why tight ends coach Jake Moreland and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik have no issues with Stover mimicking Shultz, mainly since the former Ohio State player is still getting acclimated to playing the position after switching from linebacker to tight end in college.
“He made some catches out there today that were nice,” Shultz said about Stover’s performance on the second day of OTAs. “I am excited to have a young guy that is super excited to learn football. He told me, ‘Listen, I am early playing this position. I am literally going to learn from you.’ I am excited for him.”