One of the more difficult things about coaching, at any level, is understanding when players need encouragement and when they might need a kick in the pants when they’re struggling. With second-year wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell chose the former Thursday.
Campbell has previously discussed TeSlaa’s inconsistent start to training camp this year. In Week 1 of the preseason, the wideout again wasn’t stellar.
But Campbell preached patience when addressing TeSlaa in front of reporters after the game Thursday night.
“I remember what those days are like. You want everything to come in a hurry and, you’re going into your second year and you can placed a lot of pressure on yourself, especially because you want to be great. I mean, he wants to be great,” said Campbell. “So I think more than anything, he’s just stay the course.
Campbell didn’t rule out speaking to the receiver privately about his struggles. But the Lions head coach doesn’t find that absolutely necessary either.
“He’s a pretty confident guy and he’s pretty good about, ‘You know what, I just got to go back to work.’ And that’s always served him well,” Campbell added. “He’s got a damn good coach in that room in Scottie [Montgomery] and man, all it takes is a couple of wins. Just a couple of wins at critical times against some guys in practice and then in a game to all of a sudden, it skyrockets. It goes back up.
“Sometimes, it’s with the young players, it’s a little bit of that pendulum swing. So, he’ll be fine. He’s going to be just fine.”
Dan Campbell Offers Support for Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa
GettyDetroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell addressed wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa’s slow start to the 2026 NFL season.
Only wide receiver Dominic Lovett and running back Jacob Saylors had more targets for the Lions in Week 1 of the preseason than TeSlaa. Yet, TeSlaa didn’t catch a pass.
He went 0-for-3 on his targets. The Cincinnati Bengals intercepted his first target. His other two came on third and fourth-down misses.
Still, Campbell doesn’t sound discouraged. Based on the wideout’s talent alone, that’s understandable.
TeSlaa averaged 19.5 yards per reception in his final season at Arkansas in 2024. With the Lions last season, six of his 16 catches were touchdowns, and he posted 14.9 yards per catch.
To take the next step, TeSlaa needs to find more consistency. Campbell appears to see that as a possibility if the wideout just keeps working hard.
Lions WR Depth for 2026 NFL Preseason
GettyDetroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa is trying to earn a bigger role on offense this season.
The Lions have 11 wide receivers on their roster this month. With that in mind, the team is likely to face difficult cuts at the position.
Still, it doesn’t appear TeSlaa is in danger of missing the roster. So even if he doesn’t get things turned around immediately this month, the 2025 third-rounder will have the opportunity to do that in the regular season.
Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams will be back as the team’s top two wideouts. TeSlaa is competing with Lovett and Tom Kennedy for the WR3 role.
In Week 1 of the preseason, Lovett led the Lions with eight targets, three catches and 28 receiving yards.
Lions’ Dan Campbell Opens up on WR Isaac TeSlaa After Preseason Opener