Former Jaguars RB Fred Taylor should be next on HOF’s to-do list

Former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Tony Boselli was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022 after waiting for several years to get in. While not everyone was pleased with the process surrounding his induction, the committee finally righted a wrong. Next on the HOF voters’ to-do list is to enshrine former running back Fred Taylor.

Not long after Smith showed his displeasure with the HOF’s process, Taylor took to social media to explain why he deserves to get enshrined. He believes he has the resume to get in and thinks the “so-called historians” don’t give him enough credit for his career accomplishments.

"The daily disrespect of my career has always been laughable. I must be an easy target for some and for others, especially the so-called historians aka experts, those who don’t know the difference between a M/J cross, over/under front, shaded nose, 3 or 5tech alignment. STFU"

Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports agreed with Taylor and shared his support. Also, the running back might be into something when he says he gets overlooked by the HOF committee. Over his 13-year career, he only earned one Pro Bowl designation but he toted the rock an astonishing 2,534 times for 11,695 yards with 66 touchdowns. Furthermore, he was a solid receiver out of the backfield, catching 290 passes for 2,384 yards.

Taylor’s numbers become more impressive when you take into account that his workload decreased significantly in his last season with the Jags and during his two-year stint with the New England Patriots. In that span, he was no longer in his prime but still racked up a respectable 249 carries for 980 yards with five touchdowns. With that in mind, does the Jaguars great have a case to get into the Hall of Fame?

Jaguars legend Fred Taylor should have a clear path to get into the HOF

Fred Taylor isn’t in the same echelon as Emmit Smith, Barry Sanders, or Walter Payton but that doesn’t diminish his accomplishments with the Jaguars in any way nor makes it less worthy of getting into the HOF. He currently ranks 17th on the all-time rushing career leaders list. Every single running back ahead of him but Adrian Peterson and Frank Gore already got in and it’s a matter of time before both of them get the nod.

Something that is likely holding off Taylor’s candidacy is his lack of signature plays and accolades. With the Jaguars, he only had just one conference championship appearance and didn’t play in the Super Bowl. Also, he only made one Pro Bowl and was never an All-Pro running back. That probably matters in the eyes of HOF voters. Having said that, he dominated his competition, and while he doesn’t have that many highlight reels, he was the best running back on the football field on any given Sunday.

Moving forward, there’s a chance Taylor could finally get enshrined. With Boselli no longer on the waiting list, there isn’t a ‘logjam’ of Jaguars players trying to get in, as Taylor and wide receiver Jimmy Smith are the only players to don the Black and Teal with a realistic shot to earn a gold jacket.

Boselli had to wait but he eventually got inducted. Now that he’s in, Fred Taylor (and Jimmy Smith) should have a clearer path to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.