Mike McCarthy 'not worried' about Dalton Schultz's commitment amid contract discussions

Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz is coming off a career year and wants a new contract to reflect his improvement. As of now, Dallas has opted to use their franchise tag on Schultz to keep him with the Cowboys for another year. But the emerging tight end wants longer than a one-year deal, which has led to contract disputes and Schultz missing optional practices as the summer ramps up.

However, the outside noise isn’t bothering Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy. He believes Schultz will be the same man on the field when the games begin. “I’m not worried about his commitment or what he’s done,” McCarthy said, according to an article from the Cowboys site.

Schultz “is in great shape,” he continued. “If he was standing here, he would tell you this is the strongest he’s ever been.” The tight end appears to be in world-class shape after posting a career year.

At the end of the day, though, McCarthy isn’t going to let contract talks distract him from aspirations on the football field. “Business is business and I’m in the business of winning football games,” coach declared. “We all have contracts. We all have these types of situations that they come about,” McCarthy said. But he and his team can’t let those situations cloud their ability to perform in practice.

McCarthys knows these disputes are a part of the business. “But I think you have to learn to separate things in this world,” he said. And the Cowboys players need to remain locked in on practice and not let one guy’s negotiations distract them.

Dalton Schultz just finished up his four-year rookie contract after being selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He played a small role for Dallas in his first and second seasons. But in year three, Schultz stepped up as a featured member of the passing game. After just 19 career targets in his first couple seasons, Schultz saw 89 balls thrown his way in 2020. He caught 63 of them for 615 yards and four touchdowns. Then, in 2021, Schultz upped that production to 78 receptions, 808 yards, and eight touchdowns. Hence why he wants long-term security rather than the one-year tag.