No Deal Imminent Between Cowboys, Dalton Schultz
As the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions continues to approach, one of the situations receiving the most attention is that between the Cowboys and tight end Dalton Schultz. For the most part, signs have pointed towards a stalemate preventing a long-term pact being worked out. That likelihood is strengthened, if anything, by the latest update on the matter. 
[RELATED: Breaking Down Remaining Tag Recipients]
Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning New reports that there have been no contract talks between the two sides “in weeks” (Twitter link). As a result, he adds, “no deal is imminent” at this point. That falls in line with the prevailing sentiment throughout the spring, as both parties have remained far apart during negotiations at all times.
There was, on the other hand, cause for at least some optimism over the weekend, when it was predicted that talks would resume in the days leading up to Friday’s deadline. Assuming that takes place, the chance will still remain that a breakthrough can be reached; if not, the former fourth-rounder will earn $10.9MM in 2022 on the tag.
The tight end market has, like other positions, experienced an upward trend in recent years. 2022 has seen David Njoku land a sizeable extension, leading many to wonder what extensions for Schultz and fellow tag recipient Mike Gesicki would look like. The Cowboys have, of course, shown a propensity to give multi-year deals to key contributors in the prime. Schultz has demonstrated that he fits into that category, becoming one of Dak Prescott‘s most reliable targets during the past two campaigns in particular.
A long-term contract would, in all likelihood, elevate Schultz comfortably into the top-10 in TE per-year earnings. He could also land such a deal with the Cowboys (who have used multiple tags in recent years on cornerstone players) or another team in 2023, given the increased pass-catching role he is in line for this year. Barring a significant change, the latter timing scenario still seems the likeliest outcome in this situation.
Four Players Remain On Franchise Tag; Extension Deadline Friday
The teams that still have players tied to the franchise tag have until 3pm CT Friday to reach extension agreements with the tagged performers. Otherwise, those players will play the 2022 season on the tag.
This year has brought a better success rate for tags leading to extensions, at least compared to the past two offseasons. Four of the eight players given the tag in March have signed extensions. That betters the 2020 (2-for-14) and 2021 (3-for-9) success rates. While Chris Godwin (Buccaneers), Cam Robinson (Jaguars), David Njoku (Browns) and Davante Adams (Packers; traded to Raiders) agreed to deals, the rest of this year’s group remains unsigned.
Here is how that quartet stands entering deadline week:
S Jessie Bates, Cincinnati Bengals
This looks like the most contentious of this year’s remaining tag situations. Bates, 25, discussed his disappointment about the lack of a Bengals extension ahead of his 2021 contract year and admitted not receiving a long-term deal affected him during the season. The former second-round pick, who rebounded with a postseason run featuring two interceptions and six pass deflections, voiced opposition to the franchise tag in February. Absent a long-term deal, the fifth-year defender is not expected to show for Bengals training camp. Bates, who has not signed his franchise tender, is tied to a $12.9MM tag figure. The Bengals hold $15.8MM in cap space.
Cincinnati has Vonn Bell on a $6MM-per-year deal, one that expires at season’s end, and used a first-round pick on safety Daxton Hill. The team has some notable players who become extension-eligible after 2022, notably Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins, and they may not be prepared to extend Bates on the level of Minkah Fitzpatrick ($18.2MM per year) or Jamal Adams ($17.5MM AAV). With the Bengals potentially eyeing Marcus Williams‘ five-year, $70MM Ravens deal, this impasse has created “bleak” negotiations leading up to the deadline.
The Bengals have taken care of homegrown defenders in the fairly recent past, giving both Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins two extensions and re-signing Dre Kirkpatrick in 2017. They also have let productive starters go, as evidenced by the departures of Andrew Whitworth, Kevin Zeitler, William Jackson and Carl Lawson. Zeitler signed a then-guard-record deal with the Browns in 2017; is Bates headed for free agency after a rental year?
T Orlando Brown Jr., Kansas City Chiefs
This situation has not produced as many headlines as Bates’ over the past year, but the Chiefs are a few days away from going to year-to-year with their left tackle. Brown is tied to a $16.7MM tag but is pursuing a deal that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman. Trent Williams, whom the Chiefs pursued in free agency last year before pivoting to a Brown trade, currently holds that title ($23MM per year). The league has three $20MM-AAV O-linemen (Williams, David Bakhtiari and Laremy Tunsil). For Brown to commit to a long-term deal, he would need to be the fourth. The Chiefs hold $14.3MM in cap space.
The Chiefs gave up their 2021 first-round pick for Brown, in a deal that also sent a Ravens second-rounder to Kansas City. Brown hired an agent that did not have an NFL client at that point, seeking a representative without relationships with front offices. The former Ravens third-rounder delivered an ominous message to his current team last month. Addressing the AFC West arrivals of Chandler Jones, Khalil Mack and Randy Gregory, Brown said it is “not the year to go into the season with a backup left tackle.” The sides have begun talks, which was the Chiefs’ plan upon acquiring Brown in 2021. But these could, as many tag stalemates do, go up to the deadline.
In moving from a right tackle the Ravens did not have in their long-term plans to a Chiefs Pro Bowler given the tag, Brown has shown a knack for maximizing his value. Like Bates, Brown has not signed his franchise tender, giving him the option of skipping training camp free of charge. The Chiefs have just one O-lineman, Joe Thuney, signed to a notable veteran deal. It would seem the franchise is prepared to give Brown a big-ticket extension. If the 26-year-old blocker is intent on surpassing Williams’ deal, it will test the Chiefs’ commitment.
TE Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins might be eyeing a rental season here. Gesicki signed his franchise tender and has expressed interest in a long-term Miami deal. But the team may want to see more from the former second-round pick. Less than a week before the deadline, the sides have not done much work on an extension. Njoku’s $14.2MM-per-year pact can reasonably be viewed as a Gesicki target, with the Dolphins tight end producing two seasons — yardage-wise — that outpaced Njoku’s best year. Even before Njoku’s extension, the Dolphins and their tagged tight end were not close on a re-up. The Dolphins hold $16.5MM in cap space.
Mike McDaniel reshaped the Dolphins’ offense this offseason, and on just a $10.9MM franchise tender, the Penn State product makes sense as a rental piece. This represents a crucial year for Tua Tagovailoa, and the Dolphins kept one of his top targets off the market. Gesicki, 26, could join this year’s other tagged tight end as a 2023 free agent. It would cost the Dolphins 120% of this year’s tight end tag figure to cuff Gesicki again in 2023.
TE Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys frequently hammer out extensions, preferring deals that last at least five years. That preference has impacted the Schultz talks, with the Njoku contract undoubtedly factoring into this equation as well. Throughout the offseason, the Cowboys and Schultz have not been close on an agreement. Schultz, 26, did not finish OTAs with the team, citing dissatisfaction with his contract talks for leaving. He later circled back for mandatory minicamp. Despite little momentum emerging for much of the offseason, these negotiations still have a chance of producing an agreement ahead of Friday’s deadline. The Cowboys hold $22.5MM in cap space; Schultz has signed his tender.
Unlike Gesicki’s situation, the tight end tag talks in Dallas have continued throughout the offseason. The $10.9MM payment obviously represents a major raise for the former fourth-round pick, but as Blake Jarwin‘s injury issues have shown, players can lose value quickly. The Cowboys paid Jarwin ahead of his career-altering injuries, and Schultz has been a far more effective weapon, as evidenced by his 808-yard, eight-touchdown 2021 season. The Cowboys were wise to keep him off this year’s market, with Amari Cooper being traded and Michael Gallup unlikely to start the season on time.
If Schultz and the Cowboys cannot agree on terms by Friday, his status as a key Dak Prescott target stands to position the Stanford alum for a big payday as a 2023 UFA. Then again, the Cowboys have re-tagged multiple players — Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence — over the past five years.
Long-Term Dalton Schultz Extension Still Possible?
Days away from the deadline for franchise tag decisions, there is a wide range spanning the various situations teams are in with tagged players. While all signs point to Mike Gesicki playing out the season on the one-year pact, there could be cause for optimism regarding a deal being reached between Dalton Schultz and the Cowboys.
The tight end will earn $10.9MM in 2022 in the absence of a long-term extension. That figure would represent a substantial raise from his rookie contract earnings, but the position’s market has been boosted this offseason by David Njoku‘s unexpectedly lucrative extension in particular. That has likely influenced contract talks between Dallas and the former fourth-rounder failing to pick up much traction.
However, an eleventh-hour breakthrough remains possible. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes how talks have continued throughout much of the offseason, and predicts that further discussions will take place this week (video link). More specifically, he is “[keeping] open the possibility of a long-term deal” being agreed upon before the deadline on July 15.
That would represent a stark contrast to where things currently stand between Gesicki and the Dolphins, and the tone struck by Schultz himself as this process has played out. The soon-to-be 26-year-old skipped part of the team’s OTAs while he was frustrated by the progress of negotiations; he did, however, report to minicamp.
If Schultz does end up playing on the tag, he will have the chance to put together a second straight campaign with significant production. He emerged as a focal point in the Cowboys’ offense in 2021, registering 78 catches, 808 yards and eight touchdowns. Duplicating those figures could be made easier by the absence of Amari Cooper, and the subsequent uptick in targets Schultz could see in 2022.
If he does land a multi-year pact, though, the Stanford alum could join the seven-player club of TEs averaging at least $12.5MM per season. How much the Cowboys (who rank third in the league in 2022 cap space) are willing to compensate Schultz will dictate how this situation ends later this week.
Cowboys, Dalton Schultz Remain Far Apart On Extension
The likelihood Dalton Schultz finalizes a long-term deal with the Cowboys before July 15 continues to diminish. Despite Schultz showing for minicamp and extension talks picking up at that point, progress has proven elusive.
Schultz and the Cowboys are still far apart on terms, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. Although the July deadline spurs changes in negotiations with tagged players, nothing about the Schultz talks this offseason has indicated the sides are making substantial progress.
Dallas’ top tight end displayed his dissatisfaction with the pace of these talks during OTAs, when he stopped showing up after initially reporting to the team’s facility for the voluntary workouts. The 25-year-old pass catcher returned for minicamp, indicating some potential improvement on this front. But three weeks away from the deadline, an impasse persists.
Cuffing Schultz with the tag prevented him from factoring his age-26 season into a lucrative free agency deal, and while a $10.9MM 2022 salary represents a significant raise, Schultz is starting at the annual franchise-player plight: the lack of long-term security. A second Schultz tag would cost $13.1MM — a figure still below David Njoku‘s new AAV ($14.2MM), which has likely affected the Cowboys’ talks with their tight end. That may point to the team waiting, though the team almost certainly could have extended Schultz at a lower cost during his 2021 contract year. The Cowboys opted to wait on extensions with 2021 contract-year players, tabling those talks to 2022.
Blake Jarwin suffered multiple major injuries after signing his extension — a lower-cost accord ahead of his fourth season — but collected some guaranteed money prior to those setbacks. Schultz has proven far more as a weapon, totaling 808 receiving yards — the most by a Cowboy tight end since Jason Witten‘s 851 in 2013 — last season. Dak Prescott has stumped for Schultz this offseason, and the veteran passer’s lengthy talks show what can change after a tagged season. Dallas’ three-offseason negotiations with its quarterback led to a monster extension in 2021 (four years, $160MM), a year after Dak was ready to accept a deal at a lower AAV in the summer of 2020. Negotiations for a tight end obviously do not carry the same stakes, but the Cowboys are approaching the Prescott point on the Schultz timeline.
Prescott received a four-year deal, but Gehlken adds length might be an issue in the Schultz talks as well. The Cowboys prefer longer-term extensions, as they have done with Tyron Smith (an extreme example), Zack Martin, Ezekiel Elliott and others. Schultz agreeing to a five-plus-year extension would tie him to the Cowboys into his 30s, potentially limiting his chances of cashing in again.
Dalton Schultz Likely To Play 2022 Season On Franchise Tag?
Although contract talks between the Cowboys and Dalton Schultz picked up when he returned to the team’s facility for minicamp, the veteran tight end has not been rumored to be near a deal.
Negotiations often gain steam just ahead of the July deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions, but the Cowboys may be content with a rental year with Schultz. The fifth-year tight end is likely to play the season on the tag, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes.
Frustrations with extension talks during OTAs, Schultz made a point to let the team know by skipping the final set of voluntary offseason work. Nothing leading up to minicamp suggested the sides were close on terms.
The Cowboys seeing if a former fourth-round pick can duplicate the kind of season he had in 2021 (78 receptions, 808 yards, eight touchdowns) makes sense, especially given the potential price hike connected to David Njoku‘s $14.2MM-per-year Browns extension. Schultz’s 2021 slate was better than any of Njoku’s seasons, and the Cowboys are keeping their top tight end from cashing in ahead of his age-26 season. Schultz has signed his franchise tender and will not exactly go under-compensated in 2022, being tied to a $10.9MM tag salary.
A tagged season would bring a prime opportunity for Schultz, who may see his place in Dallas’ passing-game hierarchy rise in prominence. The Amari Cooper trade bumped up CeeDee Lamb to the clear-cut No. 1 receiver role. After Lamb, a host of secondary options are present. But former 1,000-yard receiver Michael Gallup is coming off a late-season ACL tear, one expected to sideline him into the upcoming campaign. That said, Gallup might not need to begin the season on the PUP list, Archer adds. Even if Gallup regains form fairly early this year, Schultz will be a key player for the Cowboys.
Dallas’ previous tight end extension — a four-year, $22MM extension for Blake Jarwin — did not work out, after the then-starter’s injury issues changed his career trajectory. Schultz stepped in to bail out the franchise, producing on a Day 3 rookie salary. With a second tag costing 120% of Schultz’s 2022 salary, Jarwin’s successor would have a better chance to reach free agency next year. Mike Gesicki could join Schultz in that boat, if the Dolphins do not extend him by July 15. But if one of these two is extended by then, the other would have a good chance at being the top tight end available next year.
Cowboys, Dalton Schultz Resume Talks; TE Reports To Minicamp
A month remains until the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions. A few players — Chris Godwin, Cam Robinson, Davante Adams, David Njoku — have already inked long-term deals after being tagged. Njoku’s Browns extension pertains to two other members of the 2022 tag group.
While not much has developed on the Mike Gesicki-Dolphins front, the Cowboys’ tagged tight end has voiced his displeasure with his current situation this offseason. Dalton Schultz attended some Cowboys OTA sessions but skipped others, making it known his contract was at the root of the absences. The Cowboys may have gotten the message.
Talks between the Cowboys and their fifth-year tight end have picked up recently, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets, noting Schultz reported to Dallas’ minicamp Tuesday. It is not known how close the Cowboys and Schultz are on a long-term deal, as they were far apart recently. But the parties have time. Nearly every year, negotiations seemingly headed nowhere produce a deal ahead of the July 15 deadline.
Njoku’s $14.2MM-per-year pact has undoubtedly generated attention from tight ends around the league, though it directly affects Schultz and Gesicki. Both are attached to the $10.91MM tight end tag price. Each has outproduced Njoku’s best Browns season, yardage-wise. A fourth-round pick in 2018, the soon-to-be 26-year-old Schultz was not groomed to be Dallas’ long-term tight end starter the way Njoku was in Cleveland. But Blake Jarwin‘s injury trouble opened the door for the Stanford product, who has responded with 1,423 yards and 12 touchdown catches over the past two seasons.
The Cowboys picked up $10MM in cap space on June 2, receiving the belated funding from their March La’el Collins cut. As a result, Dallas’ $22.5MM in cap room sits fourth in the NFL. Schultz collecting an eight-figure paycheck represents a nice bonus for a former Day 3 pick who made $2.2MM last season. It would be understandable if the Cowboys are skittish about giving Schultz an extension that tops Njoku’s, while it also makes sense for the 6-foot-5 pass catcher — after Amari Cooper‘s exit and ahead of a season in which Michael Gallup will not be 100% at the outset — to lobby for a top-five deal at the position. Schultz could also enhance his value for 2023 with a big season, as he again will be a key Dak Prescott target, if he ends up playing on the tag. Albeit in a much higher-profile situation, this strategy worked for Prescott two years ago.
Cowboys’ Dalton Schultz Frustrated By Contract Negotiations
After showing up for the previous round of Cowboys OTAs, Dalton Schultz intends to skip this week’s conclusion of the team’s voluntary offseason program. The extension talks are not proceeding to the franchise-tagged tight end’s liking, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
The tight end position has shifted into focus this offseason, this coming as wide receivers’ salaries are skyrocketing. David Njoku‘s $14.2MM-per-year Browns extension will affect the other two tagged tight ends — Schultz and Miami’s Mike Gesicki — and Dallas’ talks with Schultz had not exactly oozed progress entering the summer.
[RELATED: Schultz Seeking Long-Term Stay With Cowboys]
The Cowboys gave Blake Jarwin a four-year, $22MM deal in 2020 — when the team let the unretired Jason Witten walk in free agency — but Jarwin’s injury trouble changed the team’s plans again at the position. Schultz ended up becoming the team’s true Witten heir apparent. He stepped in to start 14 games in place of Jarwin in 2020, hauling in 63 passes for 615 yards and four touchdowns. Schultz’s 2021 encore — 78 receptions, 808 yards, eight TDs — led to the Cowboys slapping the $10.9MM tag on him.
Schultz, 25, has already signed his franchise tender. That locks him into the $10.9MM salary while also allowing the Cowboys to fine him for missing minicamp later this month. Given the sizable salary raise Schultz booked in March, it would seem a minicamp absence would be a legitimate course of action. Waging a training camp holdout is a costlier call, but there will be a resolution by that time.
No Schultz extension by July 15 ensures he plays a season on the tag. The Cowboys have seen this scenario play out recently, on a much higher-profile level, when Dak Prescott failed to come to terms on a deal before the 2020 tag deadline. Schultz’s $10.9MM cap figure would not rival Prescott’s 2020 price, and the team may be keen to rent Schultz for a season before determining if a big-ticket tight end deal is worthwhile.
Dallas has committed to Michael Gallup as its No. 2 wide receiver this year, via an $11.5MM-AAV deal in March, and has CeeDee Lamb on his rookie contract. The team can put off a Lamb extension until 2024, if necessary, due to the fifth-year option. The Cowboys have $22MM-plus in cap space, with their La’el Collins cut generating post-June 1 funding, but may be skittish on paying Schultz top-five tight end money. Njoku became the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid tight end, but Schultz’s 2021 showing is statistically superior to any of Njoku’s five seasons. This will almost certainly be an issue for the Cowboys and Dolphins, who have seen Gesicki top Njoku’s best work twice, and create intrigue in other tight end negotiations — likely Darren Waller‘s as well — in the near future.
Cowboys, TE Dalton Schultz Not Close To Long-Term Deal
The notable extension given from the Browns to David Njoku is likely to have an impact on the tight end market going forward. That makes Dalton Schultz of the Cowboys a name to watch over the coming weeks.
[RELATED: Browns, Njoku Finalize Four-Year Extension]
Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News details the circumstances surrounding the 25-year-old with respect to a lucrative contract. After two seasons of minimal production, Schultz has become a trusted target for quarterback Dak Prescott, and one of the top young players at the position. In 2021, he continued his career ascension with 78 receptions, 808 yards and eight touchdowns.
Those numbers made him an easy choice to receive the franchise tag in March. If he plays on the one-year deal, he will earn $10.9MM; while that would rank him in the top-10 in the league in terms of yearly compensation, the Cowboys have stated their intention of committing to him long-term. Schultz himself has reciprocated that sentiment, leaving many to believe that the tag will serve as simply a placeholder for a lengthy extension.
However, Watkins notes that there doesn’t seem to be the same level of urgency present on the team’s side regarding a new deal, compared to other notable ones signed by the likes of DeMarcus Lawrence and Prescott in years past. While he adds that “it’s assumed talks will intensify” as the July 15 deadline draws nearer, that news signals that a contract placing Schultz closer to the top of the TE market isn’t around the corner at this point.
“I let my agent handle all that business and right now I’m just focused on OTAs” the former fourth-rounder said last week. There doesn’t appear to be any tension between the two parties on the subject of a second contract, but there is apparently much to be done if they are to finalize one before the deadline.
Cowboys’ Dalton Schultz Seeking Long-Term Deal
A number of high-profile tight ends were franchise tagged this offseason, including Dalton Schultz of the Cowboys. If he has his way, the 25-year-old will be staying in Dallas for more than just the 2022 season.
“This is the place I want to be” Schultz said (Twitter link via ESPN’s Todd Archer). He made clear to Archer his desire to stay with the Cowboys long-term. Just as significant is the fact that he “believes that’s the team’s goal” as well.
By signing the franchise tender, Schultz is scheduled to make $10.93MM this season. That would place him – along with David Njoku and Mike Gesicki, the other TEs to be tagged – in the top-10 with respect to compensation at the position. The team could find money to make him a key piece of their offense for the foreseeable future in part because of the departures of Amari Cooper and Randy Gregory last month.
A fourth-round pick in 2018, Schultz has emerged as one of Dak Prescott‘s favorite targets over the past two seasons. Since the start of the 2020 campaign, he has totalled 141 catches for 1,423 yards and 12 touchdowns. In the expected absence of Blake Jarwin, along with the receiver void created by trading away Cooper, the Stanford alum could take on an even larger workload in 2022.
The two sides have until mid-July to agree on a new deal; failing that, Schultz will look to take his production a step further as the Cowboys try to rebound from last year’s early playoff exit.
Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz Signs Franchise Tender
Dalton Schultz is officially locked in for next season. The Cowboys tight end has officially signed his franchise tender, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).
[RELATED: Cowboys Tag Dalton Schultz]
Schultz is now attached to a fully guaranteed $10.93MM for 2022, but the player and the Cowboys could rip up those numbers if they agree to a new long-term pact. The two sides had been working on an extension prior to the franchise tag deadline, and after the Cowboys slapped the tag on Schultz, there was still “strong interest” from both team and player to get an extension done.
In the last two seasons, Schultz has emerged as one of quarterback Dak Prescott‘s favorite and most dependable targets. He had a career year in 2021, posting 78 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns.
A Schultz extension would likely lower the tight end’s 2021 cap hit. That extra cash could be helpful as the Cowboys make runs at a number of notable free agents. Just in the past two days, the organization has been connected to Jason Pierre-Paul and Za’Darius Smith.