Texans Must Renegotiate Deals for Hunter, Schultz After NFL Rejection

The league office disapproved the one-year contracts the team had agreed to with the two players.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The Houston Texans will need to rework the one-year contracts they had agreed to with pass rusher Danielle Hunter and tight end Dalton Schultz before the start of free agency, as the NFL has rejected the deals after they were submitted to the league office on Monday. The Texans consider the issues with the contracts to be minor and expect to get new deals approved soon.

Why it matters

This is an important development for the Texans as they look to solidify their roster ahead of the upcoming season. Hunter and Schultz are key players, and the team will need to ensure their contracts are approved by the league in order for them to officially join the team.

The details

The Texans had reportedly agreed to one-year, $40 million deal with Hunter and a one-year, $12.6 million contract extension with Schultz. However, the NFL disapproved both contracts when they were submitted on Monday, though the specific reasons for the rejection are unclear. The Texans believe the issues are minor and expect to get the deals approved soon.

  • The Texans agreed to the contracts with Hunter and Schultz before the start of free agency.
  • The contracts were submitted to the NFL league office on Monday, March 10, 2026.
  • The NFL disapproved the contracts on the same day, March 10, 2026.

The players

Danielle Hunter

A pass rusher who the Texans had agreed to a one-year, $40 million contract with before the start of free agency.

Dalton Schultz

A tight end who the Texans had agreed to a one-year, $12.6 million contract extension with before the start of free agency.

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What they’re saying

“The Texans consider it a matter of semantics and expect to get new contracts approved soon.”

— Adam Schefter, ESPN Reporter (ESPN)

What’s next

The Texans will need to renegotiate the contracts with Hunter and Schultz and resubmit them to the NFL league office for approval.

The takeaway

This is a minor setback for the Texans as they look to solidify their roster, but the team is confident they can quickly resolve the issues with the contracts and get Hunter and Schultz officially signed.