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Dolphins' Taylor says he'll retire after Sunday game vs. Jets

Linebacker Jason Taylor announced Wednesday he'll retire after this season, his 15th in the NFL and his 13th with the Miami Dolphins.

"After 15 years of doing this and 13 here in Miami, unfortunately and fortunately, this will be my last game as a Miami Dolphin," Taylor said after practice.

Taylor leads all active players with 139.5 sacks, which ranks sixth in NFL history. He also has six fumble returns for touchdowns, an NFL record.

Taylor will conclude his career Sunday against the New York Jets. It'll be his 204th game with the Dolphins, which ranks second to Dan Marino's 242.

Taylor insisted Wednesday that he wouldn't entertain the idea of a comeback.

"I don't want to get into too much goodbyes and the future because we still have a game to play," he said. "I'm going to go ahead and walk away, hopefully healthy. I'm not going to leave the door open for any other stuff."

Taylor made the Pro Bowl six times, spending much of his career at defensive end before switching to linebacker. He has been used mostly in passing situations this season and has seven sacks.

Taylor has had three stints with the Dolphins, who drafted him in the third round in 1997. He also played for the Washington Redskins in 2008 and the Jets in 2010.

"In my opinion, that's a no-brainer Hall of Fame player," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "He was a phenomenal teammate here. We only had him the one year, yet he affected the team so positively. I'm proud that I had a chance to coach him."

Taylor helped the Jets reached the AFC Championship Game. He never made it to the Super Bowl, and his final playoff game with the Dolphins was way back in 2001.

"If there was one regret I have as an athlete, it's that I didn't get a chance to bring a championship to Miami," he said.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross thanked Taylor for his time with the team.

"His contributions on the field as one of the greatest players in team history will be remembered by Dolphins fans for years to come," Ross said in a statement. "He will always remain an integral part of the Dolphin family."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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