The first of two important predraft All-Star games begins in Frisco, Texas, as practices for the Shrine Bowl start Friday. The game itself has become more relevant in the NFL Draft, as the number of players selected who participated in the Shrine Bowl has increased dramatically since 2022, along with a rise in early draft picks.

These All-Star games represent the first big get-together of league personnel, prospects, and agents in one specific area, and the chatter off the field is often as interesting as the play on it. Here are the news and rumors from Day 1 of the Shrine Bowl.

Jets want Tyrod Taylor back?

The New York Jets are expected to overhaul the quarterback position once again. Justin Fields is not expected back with the team in 2026, and Tyrod Taylor is ready to hit the free-agent market.

I’m told the Jets have let it be known they’d like to bring Taylor back in 2026 in a similar role to the one he manned last season. Taylor started four games in the middle of the season, playing reasonably well before being sidelined with injury in December. He orchestrated one of the Jets’ three victories, beating the Atlanta Falcons, and he kept his team in the game earlier in the year against Tampa Bay, a game the Jets lost on the final drive.

Taylor has been a dependable backup in the league for most of his 15-year career, except for a three-year starting stint with the Buffalo Bills beginning in 2015. He finished with a record of 22-20 over that span. Despite their hopes to keep Taylor, those close to the situation believe it will be tough to re-sign him, as there will be a market for the quarterback and the Jets will have to overpay to keep him.

Top Stories

Josh Allen’s Strong Stance on Sean McDermott’s Exit Revealed After Owner Shared Bills QB’s Role in HC’s Firing

John Harbaugh Fires Giants Coach Battling Cancer as Ravens Block Staff Poaching

Bills Announce Concerning Josh Allen News as Owner Unloads on NFL Refs For Brandin Cooks Incident

Viral 4-Year-Old NFL Picks Girl Faces Death Threats After Cardi B’s Profanity-Laced Rant

‘Desperate’ to Find Help, Cowboys Legend Troy Aikman Shares Medical Update on Chronic Issue

Fan favorite out in the cold in Buffalo?

Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula fired Sean McDermott, the team’s head coach for the past nine years, earlier this week after Buffalo lost to the Denver Broncos in the second round of the playoffs. This wasn’t a big surprise, as I reported two years ago that there were rumblings McDermott would be pushed out if he couldn’t get the Bills over the hump and into the Super Bowl, and the situation has only worsened since then.

It was a surprise to many in the league that Pegula not only kept general manager Brandon Beane but promoted him to president of football operations. The drafts overseen by Beane have been spotty the past decade, and many believed he should have been shown the door along with McDermott.

Despite Beane still holding a position of power within the organization, changes are expected on the roster, and one casualty could end up being Bills Mafia favorite Reggie Gilliam.

The former tight end from Toledo was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and moved to fullback on a full-time basis, a position he also played in college. Known for doing the dirty work and little things well, Gilliam was also a terrific special-teams player for Buffalo. His work ethic and approach not only made him a favorite with fans but also resulted in teammates nominating Gilliam for the 2025 Ed Block Courage Award, which recognizes one player from each of the league’s teams for their unwavering courage and inspiration.

Gilliam, who has spent his entire six-year career with Buffalo, signed a one-year deal for last season and is slated to hit the free-agent market in March. There’s a feeling that the franchise may not pay what it will cost to bring Gilliam back (estimated to be around $3.5 million annually), and the Swiss Army knife of the Buffalo offense will seek a better deal elsewhere.

The San Francisco 49ers were mentioned as a possible destination, but their fullback, Kyle Juszczyk, played so well this season that the team is expected to bring him back rather than opt out of the final year of his contract.

Sources say to keep an eye on the Baltimore Ravens if Gilliam hits the free-agent market. The team has success with this type of player, and their fullback, soon-to-be 32-year-old Patrick Ricard, is slated for free agency in March.

Will Fernando Mendoza do anything before the draft?

With the Las Vegas Raiders seemingly set on choosing Davis Webb to be their new head coach, and many believing Kliff Kingsbury will quickly follow as the team’s offensive coordinator, the chances the franchise does not use the first pick of the draft on quarterback Fernando Mendoza are slim to none.

With that being the case, what will or should Mendoza do before the draft? According to people in the league I’ve spoken with who have no affiliation with Mendoza, the answer is nothing.

No Combine workout, no pro-day workout, not even a throwing session for the Raiders. Those in the league tell me that if they were advising Mendoza, they’d tell him fly to Vegas for a meeting and medical exam with the Raiders and leave it at that.

This doesn’t seem to be the makeup of the quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy this year and led his team to an undefeated season as well as a national title, but it’s a different day and age in the scouting process. Let’s see what happens.