Three former Lions to play major roles in second USFL semifinal

Former Lions Victor Bolden Jr., Bo Scarbrough and Kyle Sloter are in line play major roles in the second of two USFL semifinal games on Saturday.

Saturday is playoff semifinal day for the 2022 USFL season, and getting this far is an accomplishment for the spring football league. The second game, between the 9-1 Birmingham Stallions and 6-4 New Orleans Breakers, will feature some former Detroit Lions prominently.

Stallions’ receiver Victor Bolden Jr. led the league in all-purpose yards with 1,209. He was targeted 79 times (second-most in the league) by Birmingham quarterbacks, with 42 catches for 415 yards and one touchdown reception.

Bolden was third in the league in punt return yards (176) and fourth in kickoff return yards (618). If not for a missed game in Week 9, he surely would have been the league’s top all-around return man.

Bolden was on the Lions’ practice squad in 2019, 2020 and 2021, but never landed a roster spot.

Bo Scarbrough brought stability and power to the Birmingham running game. He joined the team in Week 4, and started five of the last six games. He won USFL Offensive Player of the Week for Week 6.

Scarborough started five games for the Lions in 2019, and ran for 377 yards on 89 carries over six total appearances. He was cut by the Lions in 2020 when they signed Adrian Peterson to add experience to their backfield.

Former Detroit Lions will have significant say in USFL semifinal nightcap

Breakers quarterback Kyle Sloter finished second in the UFL in passing yards with 1,798 as New Orleans had one of the league’s top offenses. Sloter had nine touchdowns against 11 interceptions, though a groin injury impacted his accuracy late in the season.

Jacob Camenker of Sporting News had Sloter atop his list of USFL standouts who could make NFL rosters.

"Sloter has the best skill set of any quarterback in the USFL. He finished second in the league in passing yards with 1,798 and helped the Breakers become one of the league’s top offenses. Sloter had just nine touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions, but he was far more accurate to start the season before a groin injury bothered him down the stretch. He should get a chance to compete for a backup job in NFL camp after being named the quarterback of the All-USFL offensive team."

It would of course not be the 28-year-old Sloter’s first time in the NFL if he got a chance. He has spent time with six 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 out. His next regular season NFL pass attempt will be his first.

The semifinal game between the USFL South Division’s two best teams will kickoff at 8 p.m. ET  on Saturday from Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, Ohio and be broadcast on NBC. The performances of Bolden, Scarbrough and Sloter will go a long way toward determining who wins.