15 Years Later: Jason Taylor Officially Announces He Is Retiring

If you were looking for another reason to watch to this Sunday’s finale against the New York Jets, Jason Taylor has given you another one.  After 15 years in the NFL and 13 of those with the Miami Dolphins, the former Akron Zip announced earlier this evening that he is hanging it up and that this Sunday will be his final NFL game.

The long time Dolphin has had an on again off again relationship that was brought on by friction with former football czar Bill Parcells.  Parcells who took over the team four years ago ushered LB Zach Thomas unceremoniously out the door and traded Taylor the Washington Redskins.  A year later, Taylor was back in Miami for one season and then signed with the New York Jets that next off-season.

Some of Taylor’s press conference quotes as they appeared in the Sun-Sentinel.

After one season in NY, Taylor at the request of GM Jeff Ireland and the urging of then HC Tony Sparano, rejoined the Dolphins for what now is his final season in pro-football.

"“This will be my last game as a Miami Dolphin as a professional football player,” Taylor said. “I look forward to enjoying this week and soaking it all in for the next few days. We have a game left to play. There will be time for thank yous and goodbyes. This is not the time for that.”“Nothing is going to replace professional football,” Taylor said. “You can’t find it on the golf course. You can’t find it anywhere.”“For the last 15 years I’ve been part of a fraternity. There’s no place like an NFL locker room,”“To be in the league this long, to be successful and to have that type of respect is something you definitely strive for.”“I wanted to make a practice squad in 1997. I was just so happy to be in the league and have an opportunity to play and come down and play with a team with Dan Marino and Zach Thomas and all the guys that were around then,” Taylor said in an onterview earlier this season. “I would have never thought 15 years later I’d still be sitting here.”"

Taylor finishes his career ranked 6th all-time in sacks with 139.5 and what’s left to debate now is whether he is a Hall of Fame worth candidate.  Surely he will be a finalist but in five years, it will be debated quite often.  Despite his New York season, Jason Taylor will be missed…we wish him well and more importantly we want to say THANK YOU!, for 13 years as a MIAMI DOLPHINS GREAT!