Houston Texans pull the trigger on contract extension for critical playmaker

A DONE DEAL

Texans Dalton Schultz, Jonathan Greenard, Steven Nelson
Dalton Schultz is staying with the Texans. Composite Getty Image.

With franchise tags flying across the NFL on Tuesday, the Houston Texans had an important decision to make about one of CJ Stroud's favorite targets, Dalton Schultz.

According to Ian Rapoport, the Texans will avoid using the franchise tag on Schultz. He and the Texans have agreed to a 3-year, $36 million contract. $23.5 million of the deal is fully guaranteed.

On the surface, this looks like a good deal for the Texans, with Dalton Schultz being the best TE that would have been available in free agency had the Texans chose not to re-sign or tag him.

This is also a down year in the draft for tight ends, outside of Georgia's Brock Bowers. So the Texans made sure they weren't going to take a step back at the position by locking up Schultz.

Schultz finished the season with 59 catches, 635 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns over 15 games in the regular season.

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The Astros beat the Twins, 10-3. Composite Getty Image.

Jose Altuve and rookie Jacob Melton drove in three runs each as the Houston Astros jumped on Chris Paddack early and cruised to a 10-3 win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.

Paddack (2-6) tied career highs by allowing 12 hits and nine runs — eight earned — in just four innings for his third straight loss.

Houston rookie starter Colton Gordon (2-1) gave up six hits and two runs with five strikeouts in a career-high six innings.

Jeremy Peña tied a season-high with four hits and rookie Cam Smith had two hits and two RBIs as the AL West-leading Astros won their third straight.

Willi Castro, Royce Lewis and Ty France all hit solo homers for the Twins, who were blown out for the third time in four games after losing to Texas 16-4 Tuesday and 16-3 Thursday.

Lewis, who missed the start of the season with a hamstring strain, pulled up as he was running to first base on a single in the ninth inning and was replaced by a pinch-runner. There was no immediate word on his injury.

The Astros got to work early in this one. The bases were loaded with two outs in the first when Smith hit a two-run single to center field to make it 2-0. Melton followed with a single to right field to drive in another run.

There were runners on first and third with one out in the second when Altuve’s double scored two to make it 5-0.

The Twins loaded the bases with two outs in the third but Carlos Correa grounded out to end the threat.

Melton hit a two-run triple with no outs in the bottom of the inning to push the lead to 7-0. A sacrifice fly by Mauricio Dubón made it 8-0.

The Twins got on the board with Castro’s two-out homer in the fourth inning.

Altuve homered to left-center to start the bottom of the inning and make it 9-1.

Key moment

Smith’s two-RBI single in the first that gave Houston the lead for good.

Key stat

The Astros had four doubles to give them 15 in their last three games.

Up next

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (8-3, 1.82 ERA) opposes Twins RHP Joe Ryan (7-2, 2.96) on Saturday.

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