Even though he was one of the best running backs of his generation and a mainstay of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2000s, Fred Taylor has had trouble getting the recognition he deserves. While the 1999 first-round selection has routinely earned Hall of Fame consideration, he's failed to get the nod despite his accomplishments.
Just this year, Taylor was a semifinalist but didn't advance to the final round of voting. This is a baffling omission from HOF voters when you take into account that his peers hold him in high regard. In fact, he just got the ringing endorsements from one of the most electrifying players in NFL history.
Deion Sanders believes Jaguars legend Fred Taylor must be in the Hall of Fame
Deion Sanders had a sitdown during Super Bowl Week and was asked about the Hall of Fame process. The former All-Pro was seemingly pleased with the 2026 class (Adam Vinatari, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechley) but argues that he could always choose better candidates.
"Roger Craig should've been in a long time ago," Sanders responded when told who had been inducted.
"That's good, but you've got some guy, okay, like anytime I throw up a guy, I could throw up a guy that he was better than," Sanders argued. "I could throw up guys, Darren Woodson is better than. I throw guys in, Asante Samuel is better than. Fred Taylor's better than quite a few guys got in there. Okay, I could throw up guys. I just don't understand the process. Sometimes it's like, you use the process for this guy, but not for that guy."
The HOF voting process raised eyebrows this year because Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft were seen as surefire first-ballot candidates, but both of them were snubbed. Neither got enough voters, as voters seemingly wanted them to wait a year to get in.
Do you believe NFL Hall of Famers should have a say in who gets inducted into the Hall of Fame? 👀
— 1010 XL / 92.5 FM (@1010XL) February 6, 2026
Deion Sanders believes Fred Taylor was better than some of the players who were inducted in this year’s Hall of Fame.#Jaguars | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/GrmzYGEnlD
This caused outrage among current and former coaches and players because — regardless of how you feel about them — Belichick and Kraft had a massive impact in the game. The former won several Super Bowls and was one of the brightest minds in modern football. The latter turned the New England Patriots into a 20-year dynasty and one of the most relevant teams in the NFL.
Fred Taylor himself has flown under the radar because he doesn't have as many accolades as other running backs of his generation. Granted, LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson were better than him, but his peers most definitely believed that the former Jaguar was in the same tier or close to it.
Jaguars legend Fred Taylor definitely belongs in the Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame process has most definitely been under scrutiny in recent years. Focusing mainly on Taylor, he got stuck in the semifinalist stage of voting, but Frank Gore was a finalist. That was odd when you take into account that Gore was one of the most durable running backs in the NFL, but he never truly stood out. Sure, his longevity is worth recognition, but he doesn't have any other attributes that make him worthy of enshrinement.
Meanwhile, Taylor has become somewhat of an afterthought. The fact that Jacksonville is a small-market team may hurt his chances. Similarly, the Jags have had trouble staying relevant. The good news is that they're slowly bucking the trend with Trevor Lawrence and head coach Liam Coen leading the way.
Moreover, if other Hall of Fame voters raise their voice like Deion Sanders did, it will be a matter of time before Jaguars legend Fred Taylor gets the recognition he deserves.