Two months ago, he proudly stated how he hates the Green Bay Packers "with a burning passion."
On Thursday night, in spite of his Detroit Lions making an ugly start to life without Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, the Packers' newest villain showed why he can become a thorn in their side. Detroit lost 34-7 to the Los Angeles Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game, but one performance stood out.
Remember the name Isaac TeSlaa.
The rookie has raised the stakes with his bold comments directed at the Packers. Beyond his unnecessarily powerful message in May, TeSlaa has promised to leap into the stands should he score a touchdown at Lambeau in Week 1.
And he joins a Lions receiving corps that has had plenty to say about the Packers. Remember when Amon-Ra St. Brown showed up at Lambeau in a hilariously misspelled "GreenBay Sucks" hoodie?
The Packers may have another Lions wide receiver to worry about this season
So, why should Packers fans care about an overdrafted and unproven third-round pick with a lot to say about their team?
His stat sheet from Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game reads a seemingly uninspiring 46 receiving yards, but the rookie made his mark on only two catches, building on a quietly impressive training camp. There's a way to go, and TeSlaa has an awful lot to prove, but he may present quite the awkward challenge for the Packers' secondary when he arrives at Lambeau Field in a little over five weeks.
At 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds, TeSlaa has the strength to win contested catches, but also the speed and acceleration to hurt defenses vertically (the Lions even used him as a gunner on special teams on Thursday night).
As the Lions' WR3, he could become a problem.
Remember, Jeff Hafley's unit (sans Jaire Alexander) already has to find an answer for the daunting receiving trio of St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, and Jameson Williams. And that's assuming they can slow down arguably the league's scariest rushing attack west of Philadelphia.
That's why TeSlaa should be on the Packers' radar. He has quietly made an impact all summer long, proving why he can make immediate contributions in Detroit's offense.
TeSlaa admits that he hates the Packers, and who could blame him? He grew up a Lions fan in an era dominated by Aaron Rodgers. All he knows is watching the Packers beat his favorite team.
Now, it's over to the Packers to give him that familiar feeling in his first taste of the rivalry as a player in Week 1.
The Lions have a final-boss energy about them this season. They are the back-to-back NFC North champions and have dominated the recent rivalry with Green Bay. TeSlaa has become Packers fans' newest villain, setting up a Week 1 showdown that promises pure theatre.