Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa warms up before Lions-Vikings game
Detroit Lions wide receiver and Michigan native Isaac TeSlaa warms up at Ford Field on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2025, ahead of the game against the Minnesota Vikings.
- Rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa has seen limited playing time despite several highlight-reel catches.
- Lions’ coaches have publicly stated their desire to get TeSlaa more involved in the offense.
- TeSlaa’s usage has been a topic of discussion, especially after the team’s inactivity at the trade deadline.
- His snap count is partly affected by the team’s offensive schemes and competition with veteran Kalif Raymond.
As Isaac TeSlaa was quick to remind a reporter this week, he entered his rookie season with no expectations about his role. That neutral outlook was grounded in realism: He was a newbie receiver in the Detroit Lions’ high-powered offense, which already had a bevy of proven skill players who each deserved the ball.
Even though he was a third-round pick, he understood that he would have to earn every opportunity given to him.
“You’re not going to go in there and be a superstar,” TeSlaa told the Free Press on Thursday, Nov. 6.
But the 6-foot-4, 214-pound Hudsonville native has shown glimpses of one.
TeSlaa was a preseason standout, producing 146 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 10 catches. Then, when the games started to count, TeSlaa instantly strung together a pair of head-turning highlights. His one-handed, toe-tapping grab in the end zone during the final minute of Week 1’s loss to Green Bay went viral on social media. Seven days later, during a rout of the Chicago Bears in the Lions’ home opener, he generated even more buzz when he reached out his right arm and palmed a 29-yard pass with a defender draped all over him. Those two plays sent fans into a tizzy. They wanted to see more of TeSlaa, the Lions’ newest playmaker.
And for a short period during early October, they did.
After Kalif Raymond hurt his neck in the first quarter of an Oct. 5 victory over Cincinnati, TeSlaa’s playing time spiked. He logged 21 offensive snaps against the Bengals and 25 more in a loss to Kansas City the following week as the 5-foot-8, 180-pound Raymond dealt with the lingering aftereffects of his injury. But in the past two games, TeSlaa has lined up at receiver a total of 12 times, run eight routes and has been targeted just once.
“I’d like to get him on the field a little bit more,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said on WXYT-FM (97.1) earlier this week.
TeSlaa’s usage has become a hot topic in wake of the organization’s inactivity leading into the trade deadline this past Tuesday. After all, the Lions gave up three third-round picks, including a pair of 2026 choices, to move up 32 spots and snag him with the 70th overall selection in April. Had the Lions held onto that bounty of draft capital, some wondered, could it have been used to acquire a veteran at a position of need to help Detroit over the next eight weeks? That hypothetical question hangs over a franchise that so far has yet to give TeSlaa the opportunities to produce the dividends commensurate with the investment the Lions made to get him six months ago.
Despite his two scores in 2025, seven skill players rank ahead of him in offensive snaps, targets and receptions.
“We’re going to get him the ball more,” offensive coordinator John Morton vowed in one breath.
“We’re going to get him more involved,” he promised in another.
According to receivers coach Scottie Montgomery, the Lions hope to achieve that objective by sustaining drives, which would lead to more plays and an increased number of chances to use packages that incorporate TeSlaa. His snap count has been depressed, in part, because the Lions have rolled out 11 personnel – the most popular three-receiver set – at a lower frequency than 24 other NFL teams, according to analytics website SumerSports. With Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams on the field for more than 88% of the Lions’ plays, either TeSlaa or Raymond – a ninth-year veteran – are called upon when an extra receiver is deployed.
“It varies game to game,” TeSlaa explained. “We have different skill sets. So, in certain plays, when it’s better to have a bigger body, I’m going to go in. And then obviously (Kalif) does so many good things. … It obviously who fits where from play to play.”
TeSlaa, who has also been an active contributor on special teams, seems fine with that arrangement even as Raymond’s offensive snap count has dwarfed his own over the past two games.
“You look at his face; he’s happy,” Williams observed. “He’s engaged. … I think I saw where coach says he’s gonna get him more involved. I think that’s good for us because we’ve got a lot of playmakers and to add another just makes it even more dangerous for other teams. … I feel like we can do a lot of things with Tes.”
The big-play potential is clearly there. Of his three catches, two have resulted in touchdowns while the other moved the chains to set up a score. Those moments have tickled the imagination of fans, who have wondered why the rookie sensation has so spent much time on the sidelines when the offense is on the field.
“For me, it’s just finding my role,” TeSlaa said. “I feel everything they have asked of me, I’ve been able to do a good job at. Obviously, there’s things I can continue to work on. But I’m excited going forward to get some more opportunities and earn my place.”
Contact Rainer Sabin at [email protected]. Follow him @RainerSabin on X.
