Jaguars RB Taylor out for season

Dec 11, 2008 - 9:08 PM JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Ticker) -- Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ligament in his thumb.

Taylor, 32, suffered the injury a 23-10 loss to Chicago on Sunday. The 11-year veteran ran for 53 yards on 13 carries before departing.

The Jaguars placed Taylor on injured reserve Thursday and signed running back Alvin Pearman.

Taylor has rushed for 556 yards and one touchdown in 13 games. He had hoped to play in the final three contests.

The longest-tenured Jaguar, Taylor is 16th on the NFL's all-time rushing list with 11,271 yards, but has been getting phased out slowly of the game plan thanks to the emergence of Maurice Jones-Drew.

"Fred is one of the all-time great Jaguars," Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio said. "He's been terrific on the field. In my entire time here, in the six years I've been here, he's been a stud. He's been really good.

"So I have a lot of respect and admiration for him, and so long as he is healthy and so as long as his body is in shape the way it is - I mean he's defying Father Time a little bit here and at some point it'll catch up - but we don't think it's caught him yet. I'd like to see him retire a Jaguar."

It has been a disappointing season for the Jaguars (4-9), who entered the campaign with Super Bowl aspirations.