Ex-Cowboy Dalton Schultz’s brash bet on himself rejecting a monster contract backfired so horribly

Dalton Schultz was supposed to be one of the crown jewels of this year’s free agency. Playmaking, safety valve tight ends — especially those from the Dallas Cowboys — don’t grow on trees.

Unfortunately, the 26-year-old seems to have been a little overzealous in the second contract negotiations of his professional career.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Schultz apparently turned down a massive three-year, $36 million contract. The implication is that he thought he could do better with a larger offer. He could not, as Schultz remained unsigned over a week into this year’s free-agent period.

On Monday, the now ex-Cowboy finally settled for a deal with the Houston Texans worth … “up to” $9 million. That’s right, Schultz declined $36 million and eventually settled for a contract that will only reach $9 million if he hits particular (undisclosed) incentives.

Woof, tough break:

The #Texans are signing TE Dalton Schultz to a one-year deal worth up to $9 million, per sources.

Schultz has 198 catches and 17 TDs over the past three seasons in Dallas. He’s still only 26. pic.twitter.com/Z19c7saA0D

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 20, 2023

Talk about not reading the open market well. Either Schultz disregarded advice from his representation and thought NFL teams really valued his skill set. Or, he’ll be looking for new agents soon enough.

Regardless of what happened, someone fumbled the bag here, hitting Schultz’s checkbook hard.