Isaac TeSlaa’s rookie season was certainly a mixed bag. After being selected with a pricy trade-up in the 2025 NFL Draft, expectations were modestly high for the rookie. On one hand, the offense around him was stacked, meaning opportunities would be limited at first. On the other hand, he was given a long runway for growth—he was never going to be forced into a role he was not ready for.
His readiness showed up early as one of the few standouts in preseason. The Lions jettisoned then-WR3 Tim Patrick
to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a late August trade, likely as a sign of confidence in the rookie. That confidence did not necessarily amount to a large role over the course of the season, but TeSlaa had his fair share of moments. Early on, that was simply making acrobatic catches, but by season’s end, he was getting more and more involved.
From Weeks 1 through 12, TeSlaa had just four catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns. From Weeks 13 through 18, TeSlaa had 12 receptions for 174 yards and four touchdowns. The uptick was not significant, but in a season where Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams were healthy for almost the entire season, it was more about seeing quality from TeSlaa, not quantity.
TeSlaa finished his rookie season with just 16 catches for 239 yards, although he still managed a whopping six touchdown grabs. Now that TeSlaa is entering his second season as a pro, what is his outlook for 2026?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
What are your expectations for Isaac TeSlaa in 2026?
My answer: At least 30 receptions for 500 yards.
Before we get into how many yards TeSlaa could get, we also have to look at how many yards are available in this offense.
Over the previous two seasons, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams have been firmly entrenched atop the receiver depth chart, and I do not expect that to change in 2026. In 2024, St. Brown and Williams combined for 2,264 of the Lions’ 4,718 receiving yards (48 percent). In 2025, they combined for 2,518 of the Lions’ 4,567 receiving yards (55 percent). Simply put, the passing game goes through St. Brown and Williams.
Assuming a similar distribution in 2026 and assuming around 4,600 passing yards from the Lions offense, that leaves around 2,300 yards for tertiary options. Those options include Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and, finally, Isaac TeSlaa. With Gibbs and LaPorta expected to be active pass catchers—the pair should go over 600 yards each—TeSlaa is left with around 1,000 yards to play with.
As the de facto third receiver in the offense, I expect TeSlaa to essentially take Kalif Raymond’s yards from last season. Raymond had 289 yards on 30 targets last season, so if you add TeSlaa’s 239 yards from his rookie campaign, that would net you a 500-yard campaign. While the Lions technically replaced Raymond with Greg Dortch this offseason, I think Dortch’s role on offense will be significantly smaller, giving TeSlaa a larger share of snaps. Unless players like Kendrick Law or Dominic Lovett excel in their limited opportunities, the rest of the depth chart is unlikely to see notable receiving contributors.
TeSlaa had a slow start in 2025, but his progress down the stretch made me encouraged. The Lions and Jared Goff clearly trusted him more as the season rolled along, which is a reasonable arc for any rookie. He has already demonstrated his value as a red zone weapon, and with his other assets (blocking, athleticism, hands), there is plenty of room for him to grow into a threat anywhere on the field.
With a full season of NFL football under his belt, I am optimistic about TeSlaa’s role in 2026. Given the rest of the Lions’ arsenal, he will not eclipse 1,000 yards, but he could play a notable role in arguably the NFL’s best receiver trio.
