Will Dalton Schultz attend Dallas Cowboys minicamp? McCarthy not worried about his commitment
Coach Mike McCarthy doesn’t know if frustrated tight end Dalton Schultz will be at Dallas Cowboys minicamp this week.
He could only answer, “We’ll see” when asked about his expectations of the tight end’s availability for minicamp.
Yet, the Cowboys coach is also admittedly not concerned about Schultz’s commitment to the team and his availability for 2022.
Schultz, miffed by the lack of progress on a contract extension after he signed a $10.93 million franchise tag, skipped the final week of OTAs in hopes of jump starting talks.
If he doesn’t show up for minicamp — which begins Tuesday and runs through Thursday — he could be fined $15,515 for the first day, $31,030 for the second and $46,540 for the third (up to $93,085 total).
The two sides have until July 15 to get a deal done or he will have to play the season on the franchise tag.
”Business is business and I’m in the business of winning football games. We all have contracts. We all have these types of situations that they come about,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “Timing obviously plays into these decisions and transactions. “Dalton deserves this position that he’s in. So hopefully we can get it worked out.”
The baseline for any deal with Schultz is Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku’s recent four-year, $56.75 million deal that averages to just over $14 million per season.
Consider that Schultz finished last season with 78 catches, 808 yards, and eight TDs. Njoku had 36 catches for 475 yards and four touchdowns in 2021 after notching just 19 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns in 2020 to precede his big pay day.
So when McCarthy says Schultz deserves this position and opportunity to work out his business, he means it.
But while McCarthy might not know if Schultz will be at minicamp but he knows he will be available and ready when the season starts.
Schultz had been a constant presence at the team facility since the end of 2021 season and he had participated in all the voluntary workouts before skipping last week.
”I’m not worried about his commitment or what he’s done,” McCarthy said. “He’s in great shape. If he was standing here, he would tell you this is the strongest he’s ever been. He’s put a tremendous amount of work into the offseason. I think it’s clearly why I separate it. It’s business. It’s business that he’s tending to, and it’s understood.”
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 12:14 PM.
