In his second season with the Patriots, veteran running back Fred Taylor has appeared in only nine games. Last year, an ankle injury chewed up most of his season. This year, a toe has limited him to only three games.
Though the Pats won’t have him again this weekend when they host the Vikings, the Pats could have Taylor back next weekend when they travel to Cleveland for the eighth chapter of the Belichick-Mangini feud.
It’s not a sure thing, but at this point it’s a distinct possibility that Taylor will be back.
The 1998 first-round pick of the Jaguars quietly has climbed to No. 15 on the all-time rushing list, and he’s No. 2 on the active list, with 11,638. (LaDainian Tomlinson is No. 1.)
Taylor has passed guys like John Riggins, O.J. Simpson, Tiki Barber, and Ricky Watters. On the not-too-distant horizon are Thurman Thomas (12,074), Franco Harris (12,120), Marcus Allen (12,243), Edgerrin James (12,246), Marshall Faulk (12,279), and Jim Brown (12,312).