Isaac TeSlaa may only be a rookie, but heâs already winning over Jared Goff.
The third-round wideout has made a quick impression on the Lions quarterback with his aptitude, work ethic, and freakish athleticism.
âHeâs been awesome. Heâs been great, man,â Goff told former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez on FOX Sportsâ âRearview.â âTough, smart, does everything right. Obviously, (he has) great hands. ⦠Heâs incredible.â
The 6-foot-4 TeSlaa has two acrobatic catches through two games and may be in for a bigger role on offense if he can continue to impress Goff.
Lions Envision Larger Role for Isaac TeSlaa
After making an acrobatic touchdown grab for his first NFL reception in Week 1 , TeSlaa turned in another highlight-reel play on Sunday.
His leaping one-handed grab went for 29 yards and helped set up Amon-Ra St. Brown’s touchdown just before halftime. The Lions pulled away to rout the Bears 52-21 .
Playing off that, Lions wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery offered a humorous observation this week about TeSlaa.
âYou know, people say he has great hands, right? I donât necessarily know that he has great hands. I havenât seen his left hand yet,â Montgomery joked, via MLive. âI know that he has a great hand or, you know, a great glove or something.â
TeSlaa won the No. 4 receiver job in Detroit after Tim Patrick was traded to the Jaguars but missed practice leading up to the opener against the Packers , in which he played just three offensive snaps. Last week, he played 17 snaps.
Word is, TeSlaaâs role will only continue to grow.
âTwo one-handed catches. Thatâs gotta be the best first two catches in NFL history,â Goff told Sanchez. âI think the fun part for him is yeah, those are cool, those are great, but he can do so much more. Weâll start working him into more things in our offense, getting him the ball a little bit better. The skyâs the limit for that kid.â
Isaac TeSlaa Grew Up Rooting for Lions
TeSlaa hails from Hudsonville, Mich., and grew up a Lions fan. He began his college career at nearby Division II Hillsdale College before leaving home to play for Arkansas, where in two seasons (2023-24) he had 62 catches for 896 yards and five touchdowns.
During that time, the Lions stayed close to TeSlaaâs heart. Goff revealed TeSlaa was in the stands for the 2024 NFC title game against the 49ers .
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