Dallas Cowboys tight-end Dalton Schultz had an outstanding season in his fourth season with Cowboys. Schultz was made a starter after Blake Jarwin, Dallas’ other tight end suffered a hip injury in Week 8. And boy did he deliver.
Dak Prescott quickly made Schultz a reliable target and he played a major role in the second half 2021 season. He had 78 receptions for 808 yard, 10.4 yards per reception and eight touchdowns. This was more than all his stats from 2020. He was also a standout for his leadership qualities as well as his competitiveness.
The young player shared a touching message on social media after the devastating loss to the 49ers. He expressed his regret at the loss of the team and thanked Cowboys Nation.
Is this a goodbye to the 2021-22 season message or a farewell message to the Cowboys?
When you pour everything you have into something, it hurts the most when you come up short.
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Cowboys Nation, I know it’s not the outcome any of us wanted, but thank you for all the support this year 💙 pic.twitter.com/1kbKk9jCfT— Dalton Schultz (@BinghamBaller9) January 18, 2022
Schultz was a rookie in 2020 and wasn’t even a starter. This year, he made his mark in the Cowboys organization. He ranks closely behind some of top names in the game as one of the league’s best tight ends.
Dallas has a problem. He is due to be free in March. With his outstanding year, many teams have already started to look at Schultz. PFF projects Schultz will be paid around $45 million over a four-year contract. This is despite the fact that he is young, and clearly talented. Dallas might not be able keep Schultz around after 2022, considering that Dallas is currently the third-worst league team in terms of cap space.
Jarwin was able make a return in the final two games, but only had three targets in each matchup. The former starter didn’t appear in the matchups this year so we didn’t see him much. Jarwin has two years remaining in his 4-year contractt Dallas. Keeping both ends a tightrope, especially considering Schultz’s price increase, is unlikely to happen.
Cowboys Nation clearly has a special affinity for Schultz. It will be interesting to see if Schultz’s heartfelt tribute was just a last goodbye for the Cowboys faithful.