Dan Campbell explains why the Lions still haven’t played Isaac TeSlaa a lot
Campbell’s explanation opens some eyes on where TeSlaa is right now
The Detroit Lions took a real chance in the 2025 NFL Draft when they traded two third-round picks to move up for Arkansas receiver Isaac TeSlaa. With this move had to come the expectation that this was not going to be an overnight thing, and it really didn’t have to be, but the reward is a high one. You have to know by now that the Lions are no longer heavily relying on draft picks to be starters or immediate impact players. They just don’t have to do that anymore.
With that said, everyone is wondering where this kid is right now. We’ve seen the Lions take their time with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, and others, but we’re heading into Week 13, and TeSlaa has been targeted nine times this season, and he’s barely been on the field. Dan Campbell keeps saying that he wants to get him more involved, but his comments on Tuesday show that TeSlaa is just not ready for that.
Dan Campbell explains why Isaac TeSlaa hasn’t played a lot on offense
“We like where Tesla is at. He’s had a ton of growth. And look, we went into this year saying, ‘hey, let’s let this guy grow.’ There would be a place for him on special teams, and he’ll be a spot player on offense. And then once he proves that there’s more than that, this is what he is until then, knowing that man, he’s got room to grow.” Campbell said. “And we love the clay. We love to be able to mold that clay. And (Lions wide receiver coach/assistant head coach) Scotty’s (Montgomery) done a hell of a job. He’s gotten better and better and better, and we’re asking him to do more. And so I do believe it’s going to come. I do believe he’ll get an uptick in production. You know, he’ll get used a little bit more, but I like where he’s at. He’s doing a good job.”
So there you go, the Lions want him to keep growing. When you have Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, that will help. With that said, with Sam LaPorta out, you’d like to see what TeSlaa could do in some tight-end situations. But if he’s working to learn how to be an NFL receiver, maybe it’s best that you just don’t mess with that. We’ll see if he gets more involved as the season goes on.
Detroit Lions News
The Lions can exploit the Packers’ defense’s dirty little secret on Thanksgiving
A breakdown of how the Lions offense can beat the Packers
