Lions quarterback Jared Goff, pictured, continues to be impressed by rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa.
Isaac TeSlaa may only be a rookie, but he’s 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.
“He’s been awesome. He’s been great, man,” Goff told former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez on FOX Sports’ “Rearview.” “Tough, smart, does everything right. Obviously, (he has) great hands. … He’s incredible.”
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.
“You know, people say he has great hands, right? I don’t necessarily know that he has great hands. I haven’t seen his left hand yet,” Montgomery joked, via MLive. “I know that he has a great hand or, you know, a great glove or something.”
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, TeSlaa’s role will only continue to grow.
“Two one-handed catches. That’s gotta be the best first two catches in NFL history,” Goff told Sanchez. “I think the fun part for him is yeah, those are cool, those are great, but he can do so much more. We’ll start working him into more things in our offense, getting him the ball a little bit better. The sky’s the limit for that kid.”
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 TeSlaa’s heart. Goff revealed TeSlaa was in the stands for the 2024 NFC title game against the 49ers.
Douglas Bonjour is a breaking news contributor covering the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy. He is also a contributing writer for The Associated Press and has worked for Point Spreads, the Connecticut Post and Hearst Connecticut Media as a reporter and editor. More about Douglas Bonjour
