Cowboys Countdown: Clock Ticking on Dalton Schultz Contract Decision

Schultz, for his part, has the right to eyeball the Browns' new David Njoku deal (with a massive APY of $14 million) and see it as the bar.

FRISCO - As we have stated before, we have the sneaking suspicion that the Dallas Cowboys do not have any particular intention of handing a massive long-term contract to Dalton Schultz, maybe preferring instead to let him play one more season while on the franchise tag ... and worrying about the future in the future.

The countdown intensifies now.

Coach Mike McCarthy and team leader Dak Prescott are very much in Schultz' corner.

"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," McCarthy said. "Timing obviously plays into these decisions and transactions. ...''

Ah yes. Timing. Now, as in, "As of July 4, the Cowboys and Schultz have 10 days left if they want to forge a long-term deal.''

Schultz and the Cowboys have until July 15 to work out a multi-year deal or Schultz will play the 2022 season on the tag, worth just under $10.9 million fully guaranteed. If he does skip next week, he can technically be fined almost $100,000.

Schultz is in Miami with Prescott and friends on a workout vacation. He's still a key guy here, even as Jake Ferguson, the fourth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, might be seen at the future.

But none of the other guys in this roster can do what Schultz has done, setting career highs in catches (78), receiving yards (808) and touchdowns (eight) last year while continuing to gain the full trust of QB Dak Prescott.

Prescott, for his part, is supportive of Schultz and unworried.

"We'll handle it,'' Dak said.

Schultz, for his part, has the right to eyeball the Browns' new David Njoku deal (with a massive APY of $14 million) and see it as the bar.

And coach McCarthy, for his part?

"Dalton deserves this position that he's in,'' McCarthy said. "So hopefully we can get it worked out."

The involved parties have a matter of days to do that. The Cowboys clock is ticking.

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