Dalton Schultz reveals C.J. Stroud was reason he stayed with Houston Texans

Texans tight end Dalton Schultz didn’t bother to wait until at least next week, when free agency starts, to talk to other teams before signing a deal to stay in Houston.

And it all has to do with quarterback C.J. Stroud, who continues to inspire his teammates, even in the early days of March when off-season workouts still are a month away. Schultz made an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show this week, after he agreed to a new contract with the Texans. He explained that Stroud, last season’s NFL offensive rookie of the year, was one of the reasons for not going through the free agency experience.

After all, why wouldn’t a sure-handed tight end want to stay with a rising, talented QB? The Texans were the upstart AFC team that won the South division.

“To have a guy come in like that, step in, take the reins and hit the ground running, C.J.’s quickly cemented himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the league,” Schultz said in the interview. “Talking to C.J., the amount of belief and trust he has in himself, the way he carries himself, he does special things.

“That was a big part of me wanting to come back,“ the Texans tight end said. “I wanted to surround myself with guys like that. Guys that galvanize a football team, and I think he absolutely does that. It’s a great time to be a Texan and I’m super excited that I’m back.”

Schultz said Stroud makes all Texans better

Schultz, who played five seasons with the Cowboys, signed with the Texans last year. However, that deal was only for a year. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent next week. But the Texans and Schultz reached an agreement on a three-year deal worth $36 million, with $23.5 million guaranteed. The annual salary ranks 12th in the NFL, as of now. But the rankings are certainly fluid.

Schultz caught 59 passes for 635 yards with five touchdowns last season in 15 games. And because of Stroud, he knows the Texans are on an upswing. His stats probably will be as well. Again, it has to do with Stroud.

“When you see a quarterback that’s able to make every single throw again and again and again, and stay humble about it and realize he’s not quite there,” Schultz said. “Through all the success he was having, he kept going back to, ‘How can I get better, though?’”