BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA – APRIL 18: Jordan Ta’amu #10 of Tampa Bay Bandits prepares to throw the ball in the third quarter of the game against the Pittsburgh Maulers at Protective Stadium on April 18, 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/USFL/Getty Images)
Former Lions quarterbacks Jordan Ta’amu and Kyle Sloter will face off in the USFL’s Sunday afternoon game, as the New Orleans Breakers take on the Tampa Bay Bandits.
It is true that Jordan Ta’amu and Kyle Sloter’s stays with the Detroit Lions were short and uneventful, and so short and uneventful many probably missed it. Ta’amu, the former Ole Miss quarterback, was on the Lions’ practice squad after the XFL season ended abruptly in the spring of 2020. He signed with Kansas City last year, but was cut after failing to unseat veteran Chad Henne as Patrick Mahomes’ backup.
Sloter has spent time with six NFL teams, including the Lions, since 2017. He was on Detroit’s roster for the final few games of the 2019 season when Matthew Stafford was notably out.
Ta’amu and Sloter made their debuts in the new USFL last weekend. This weekend, they’ll start against each other in the USFL’s Sunday afternoon featured contest.
Former Detroit Lions quarterbacks facing off in USFL Week 2
Last weekend, Ta’amu threw for 185 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions starting for the Tampa Bay Bandits in the season opener. The Bandits beat the Pittsburgh Maulers 17-3. It’ll be interesting to see if Ta’amu’s running ability becomes a bigger part of the Bandits’ offense. Over two seasons at Ole Miss, he had 173 rushes for over 500 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Sloter landed with the New Orleans Breakers in the USFL draft. He started last weekend’s 23-17 season-opening win over the Philadelphia Stars, going 17-for-27 for 150 yards with an interception while adding 30 rushing yards on four carries. The Breakers won with a strong ground game (171 yards), and a defense that spearheaded the first nine points of the game.
The Bandits and Breakers will kickoff at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium. The game will be broadcast by NBC and on Peacock.