Taylor will sign a ceremonious contract with the Jaguars on Friday in order to retire with the team that selected him with the ninth pick in 1999.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reflected on Taylor's two seasons in New England, where he rushed for 424 yards and four touchdowns.
"I thought he was a tremendous example for the younger players," Belichick said. "He had a great attitude, a great work ethic, very professional. I think he added a lot to our team in those two years. He wasn’t able to contribute as much on the field as he or we would have liked, but as far as being professional and doing everything the right way and being a great example — not just to the younger players, but really all the players — he was exemplary. It was really a privilege for me to coach him. He's had a tremendous career. He's a tremendous player, and he deserves all the recognition that he'll be getting. He was outstanding, a very hard guy to play against, and we were very fortunate to have him on our team for a couple of years at the end of his career. We've had several guys like that — the Junior Seaus, and the Fred Taylors and guys like that — and they've brought a lot to us at that time, and we were fortunate to have them."
