Not many people had heard of Teagan Quitoriano prior to Sunday.
Even fewer expected him to score two touchdowns.
Heck, one of those was quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
"He was out there, so yes, I expected something out of him," Brissett said. "Two touchdowns, I would not say that would've been on my board."
To Quitoriano, it was another example of how fast things can change in the NFL. On the day where teams had to trim down their roster to 53, the Cardinals traded a 2028 sixth-round pick to Jacksonville for Hunter Long. That trade eliminated Quitoriano's shot at making the initial roster after a strong training camp.
Against the Giants, Long injured his right knee and was placed on Injured Reserve. Quitoriano, who was on the Cardinals practice squad, got the call up.
"It was tough, man," Quitoriano said, describing the last month. "But you just keep on going and keep on sticking to your routine and staying ready. For when an opportunity like this comes, all you can do is stay ready."
His impact was felt early in the game against the Lions. On the opening drive, Brissett rolled to his right and found Quitoriano open in the corner of the end zone. Tight end Trey McBride was also open.
In the third quarter, Brissett and Quitoriano connected once more. Same end zone. Same location. Nearly identical play call on the play-action bootleg.
Quitoriano admitted he got a little gratification from the scores considering his journey. But, "it was bittersweet. You play to win the game and that's all that matters to me."
The pair of touchdowns were the only receptions for Quitoriano. His usage on Sunday could be a sign of what's to come.
Against the Lions, the Cardinals were in 13 personnel on 25 snaps. According to TruMedia, it marked the most snaps the Cardinals have used three tight ends in franchise history.
Combined with McBride's ridiculous touchdown grab, it also was the first time in team history that three touchdown receptions came from their tight ends in a single game.
"We create a lot of mismatches," Quitoriano said. "I think all three of us are very versatile players and we can get big on people and can still have the skill set to spread the ball around if we have to. And we can line up and run the ball right at you."
LaFleur said one of the reasons why he did not pull Brissett out of the game despite the lopsided score was to get more reps with the new faces in the huddle. That helped Jalen Brooks, Reggie Virgil, and Jayden Williams.
Quitoriano benefited as well.
"He came in and it felt natural and it's his presence in the run game," Brissett said. "He did a good job in the run game and obviously got rewarded with the two touchdowns. When I looked at the call sheet the night before I did not say, 'Teagan's scoring on these two plays,' but kudos to him."
