'Reliable Target': C.J. Stroud Praises Dalton Schultz's Consistency Entering Playoffs

The relationship between Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud and tight end Dalton Schultz has developed a trust factor between the two on gamedays.

When C.J. Stroud arrived in Houston after being drafted last April, his first assignment came off the practice fields. 

As the face of a franchise, Stroud was tasked with building relationships with his new offensive personnel. Learning the play design is only one part of the job. Understanding the nuances of a player is the other and perhaps more influential in starting a dialogue that would translate to promising reps. 

Stroud's budding tandem with Nico Collins reached national peaks last week in Houston's playoff-clinching win over the Colts. Before that, it looked like he and fellow rookie Tank Dell were close to setting the world on fire. 

But the first player Stroud actually bonded with when he touched down in Houston was tight end Dalton Schultz, a fellow newbie joining the squad from Dallas. Their relationship remains strong entering the postseason mainly due to one specific criterion. 

"He’s probably the person to keep it really honest," Stroud said Tuesday. "Like, ‘this is the expectations that you’ll have, bro.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay.’ So, I appreciate him for doing that, but he’s been a very reliable target." 

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (86) celebrates receiving a pass against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023 :: Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Honesty translates to trust. Trust often leads to connections. And the connection between the two first-year Texans has been an underlying part of Houston's turnaround under new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. 

Rookie quarterbacks often rely on their tight ends as security blankets to keep drives alive. Stroud has relied on Schultz as more than a check-down option, but whenever called upon for a close play, there's No. 86 making sure another play can unravel back in the huddle. 

The two have connected in some of Stroud's most prominent moments in 2023. Take for instance Week 9's comeback win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when Schultz hauled in two catches for first downs on the final drive to set up Dell's game-winning score. 

Down early against the Arizona Cardinals, the two connected for a 20-yard touchdown on the second drive to tie the game at seven apiece. 

Last week against the Colts, Collins finished with a season-high 195 yards on nine targets. Schultz finished second with five catches for 42 yards, but over 80 percent of his production came on the final drive (four catches for 32 yards) to set up the game-winning 3-yard run from Devin Singletary. 

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“He’s been a very reliable target,” Stroud said. “He’s somebody who knows how to get open. He knows coverage. He knows route depth and how to manipulate somebody and how to get into a certain zone at the right time. He’s a smart player.”

Stroud will need to rely on Schultz for the short stuff Saturday against the Cleveland Browns' forceful defense if the Texans hope to advance to the next stage of the postseason.