"Fred Taylor's departure from Jacksonville doesn't mean his former teammates aren't thinking about him.

Taylor, now with the New England Patriots after spending 11 seasons with the Jaguars, underwent ankle surgery on Thursday and is expected to miss most of the season. Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio and running back Maurice Jones-Drew wished Taylor a speedy recovery.

"He was playing well for them, so I personally was hurt," said Jones-Drew. "To see what he was doing out there with that offense was nice. He had a tough break. But I know he wouldn't want anyone to feel sorry for him. I'm just going to pray for him and hope he can start playing again soon."

Taylor, 33, sustained the ankle injury on his final carry last Sunday in New England's 27-21 win over the Ravens. The previous week, Taylor had the Patriots' only 100-yard rushing performance of the season.

Del Rio said that Taylor's intense training acumen will help him to recover quickly.

"You never like to see someone get hurt," Del Rio said. "But with his work ethic, I can tell you, if there's anyone who can get over something like that, it's Fred. He'll find a way to get it done and get back out there.""