Texans' Dalton Schultz Sends Clear Message Ahead of Bucs Game

The Houston Texans' tight end room took another hit of many for the 2025 NFL season during Week 1 in their 9-14 loss vs. the LA Rams, a game that saw starter Cade Stover go down with a foot injury in the final minutes of the game to place him on the Injury Reserve list indefinitely.

That leaves this Texans tight end room down to two: veteran Dalton Schultz and Harrison Bryant, a practice squad signing from earlier in the week, and Houston's earlier trade acquisition from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for John Metchie.

But now heading into Week 2 vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this Texans offense is ready to get back on track, and for Houston's top tight end on the roster, Dalton Schultz, he's clearly ready to help bring some improvements on his behalf.

"I don't think anybody's satisfied with any aspect of the offense," Schultz said after Friday's practice. "So, I think it's a constant need for improvement in every aspect. I think just for us, staying on schedule, staying on track, eliminating big plays is going to be big for us, and just give ourselves a shot."

Schultz was splitting starting tight end reps with Stover last Sunday before he went down with his injury. Now, he shoulders much more of a sizable load of that responsibility in the room, and could have a much bigger slice of the pie for those tight end snaps.

But Schultz also has confidence in what the new backup in Bryant brings to the table if his name is called; a tenured league veteran with six years of experience, and a serviceable fill-in for the Texans' depth tight end spot.

"Harrison [Bryant]'s played a lot of ball. He's no stranger to this game at this level. He's kind of hit the ground running a little bit since he's got here. Obviously, it's a lot to pick up. Brand new offense. But I've got full confidence in him next to me."

'Play clean' #Texans tight end Dalton Schultz on focus on offensive improvement heading into #Buccaneers #MNF @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/g5LvmpRFU2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 12, 2025

It'll be a big test for this Texans group offensively in Week 2 vs. the Bucs. They come fresh off what could end up as one of their worst performances on that side of the ball throughout the year, finishing with zero touchdowns and nine points, paired with a limited day from C.J. Stroud and one of the quietest showings we've seen from Nico Collins in some time.

But for Schultz, the key to getting the operation back to form centers upon one similar factor: playing clean football that can limit penalties, something the Texans struggled with vs. LA as a result of their 11 total flags.

"Playing clean, penalties. At the end of the day, it's on us to solve the illegal shifts and the false starts, and some of the things that are technique-based. We can eliminate those. Stay out of 2nd-and-20. Those are hard downs, especially at this level."

Jun 10, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (86) participates in a drill during an NFL football minicamp at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

If the Texans' offense can keep those prevalent flags from Week 1 to a minimum, get this Nick Caley-led passing attack rolling, and keep Stroud protected from a tough Tampa Bay secondary, that can be just what helps Houston lift to 1-1 to begin to season. Time will tell if they can check those boxes on Monday.

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