Texans tight end Dalton Schultz sidelined two days in a row with relatively minor ankle injury, status being determined

HOUSTON – Texans veteran tight end Dalton Schultz isn’t practicing Thursday for the second day in a row, raising questions about his availability for a Sunday night game against the Chicago Bears.

Schultz has not been ruled out, though, per a league source, with some hope of him playing against Chicago and his status still being determined after getting hurt Sunday when he suffered a minor sprained ankle. The injury is not regarded as long-term, per a source.

Schultz caught all three passes thrown to him Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts for 16 yards during a 29-27 win.

If Schultz is unavailable Sunday night against the Chicago Bears, the Texans will lean on tight ends Brevin Jordan and Cade Stover. Chris Myarick was signed to the Texans’ practice squad last week.

A former fifth-round draft pick from Miami, Jordan has caught 52 career passes for 528 yards and five touchdowns. He caught 17 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns on 21 targets in 14 games and six starts last season. Jordan caught one pass for three yards against the Colts. He had a 76-yard touchdown in an AFC wild-card playoff win against the Cleveland Browns last season.

“Yeah, I really think Brevin, from through the course of last season, took a massive step as far as just being a professional,” Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik saaid. “Being an NFL player and not just physically, but mentally and everything that goes along with that. So, he knew he had to get in his playbook. He knew he had to learn our scheme. But then he went to an extra step of, ‘OK, how do I devote this extra time to taking care of my body? How do I devote this extra time to making sure, on game day I’m 100 percent? I’m good to go, I’m looking fast.’

“And he grew into that as the season went on, which I think everybody saw the way he played as the season went on. And then he carried that over into the offseason and all he’s continued to do is get better and better and better even through camp all the way into this game. I mean, some of the run blocking clips he had in this game were some of the best we’ve had since we’ve been here. And that’s stuff he’s been doing since training camp. So, he’s just embraced all phases of being an NFL player.”

A fourth-round draft pick from Ohio State, Stover did a nice job as a lead blocker for running back Joe Mixon against the Colts.

“One thing about Cade is that from the moment he stepped in our facility he has been very smart and on it,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Anything that we have asked him to do, he is ready to go. He doesn’t make mistakes, and that is a lot being said for a rookie. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, he is where he is supposed to be and he enjoys playing the game of football. So for him to get at that fullback position, he was ready for it and he did a really good job of it.”

Wide receiver Nico Collins was added to the injury report as limited, but there is no concern about his status for the Bears game.

Schultz was signed this offseason to a three-year, $36 million deal that includes $23.5 million fully guaranteed with a $7.5 million signing bonus, per a league source.

Schultz has fully guaranteed base salaries in 2024 and 2025 of $5 million and $11 million, respectively.

He is due an $11 million nonguaranteed base salary in 2026.

Schultz, 27, is a reliable downfield target for quarterback C.J. Stroud. He caught 59 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns on 88 targets last season after leaving the Dallas Cowboys to sign a one-year deal with the Texans last year.

Texans safety M.J. Stewart remains sidelined with a knee-quadriceps injury and is expected to miss the Bears game.

Running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring) and starting center Juice Scruggs (groin) were added to the injury report as limited.

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com