Mike McCarthy ‘not worried ‘ about Dalton Schultz ahead of mandatory minicamp
Dallas Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz signed his franchise tender worth $10.931 million earlier this spring but sparked some concern among those within the team’s fan base when he informed the club this week he would be skipping the rest of voluntary organized team activities as he looks to secure a long-term contract.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott recently said he is “confident” the two sides will come to an agreement before the July 15 deadline for teams to sign franchise-tagged players. On Thursday, head coach Mike McCarthy addressed the situation and, like Prescott, didn’t sound overly concerned.
“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 explained, according to Rob Phillips of the team’s website. “Timing obviously plays into these decisions and transactions. Now, as a head coach, it takes you a few years to get used to it, but I think you have to learn to separate things in this world. Dalton deserves this position that he’s in. So hopefully we can get it worked out.”
While McCarthy added he and Schultz hadn’t yet discussed plans for next week’s mandatory minicamp, the coach made it known he believes the 25-year-old will be ready to go when it matters most.
“I’m not worried about his commitment or what he’s done,” McCarthy continued. “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.”
Schultz finished the 2021 regular season with 78 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns, and it’s thought he may be looking to fetch something in the ballpark of the four-year, $56.75 million deal (with a reported $28 million guaranteed) David Njoku received from the Cleveland Browns late last month.
