The 33-year-old, who was banged up in Sunday's win over the Ravens and missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday, needs surgery on his right ankle, according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com.
A "source close to the situation" tells Reiss that the surgery won't be season-ending, provided there are no complications.
It was widely speculated by many that Laurence Maroney was receiving perhaps a larger share of the team's carries in order to ensure Taylor would be healthy for the second half of the season and playoffs, but it now looks like Maroney will see an increased role in the offense due to necessity.
Taylor is the team's leading rusher, amassing 201 yards on 45 carries for two touchdowns. Second-year running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who averaged 3.7 yards per carry last season, could see some action in Taylor's absence.
