If fans and media around South Florida have yet to stop shaking their heads, it must be twice as bad for defensive end Jason Taylor.
Taylor, a franchise defensive end in his tenth season with the Miami Dolphins has made the constant decision to stay with the team that drafted him in 1997. In a league where the trend has become “pay me, play me”, Taylor has made it a yearly ritual to restructure his contract. After last year’s season, Taylor was scheduled to make 5.25 million in base salary for the 2006 season, only to convert 2.5 million into bonus money set to spread through the remainder of his contract.
While some may frown at the thought that giving away 2.5 million of his 5 million is a “problem” for Taylor, those same people would undoubtedly feel bad for a man who has given his best to a floundering franchise.
As the Dolphins sink deeper with a 1-6 record, Taylor is having the best season he has had in a while. 7 sacks in 7 games and four forced fumbles which equal his total of last year. Despite the great efforts, Taylor is left to ponder his team’s effort after each game this season.
Yet it isn’t the first time Taylor shines while the rest of the team lags behind. When the Dolphins went 4-12 in 2004, arguably the team’s worst season, Taylor notched a respectable 9.5 sacks and saw the field in Hawaii as a Pro-Bowler.
Taylor is a four time Pro-Bowler and a staple in the Dolphins locker room that draws fans to the stadium and the few cheers that come from the stands. He currently stands at 99.5 sacks, .5 away from being the twenty-third person in NFL history to reach a hundred.
Taylor’s loyalty is admirable, but with a franchise stalling in the rebuilding process and his career coming to it’s downside, Taylor must now make a decision that was once automatic, whether or not the Dolphins are worth it. For what it’s worth, Taylor has yet to win a ring, and don’t be surprised if that becomes his first priority as the lowly Dolphins drop to a distant second.
