"Miami Dolphins linebacker Jason Taylor began by saying the moment was unfortunate.

He then quickly corrected himself.

He considered Wednesday's retirement announcement as a fortunate day in his personal life. After 15 seasons, 13 with the Dolphins, Taylor will play his final game Sunday against the New York Jets at Sun Life Stadium.

"This will be my last game as a Miami Dolphin as a professional football player," Taylor said. "I look forward to enjoying this week and soaking it all in for the next few days. We have a game left to play. There will be time for thank yous and goodbyes. This is not the time for that."

Taylor will end his career against the team he played for during the 2010 season. He spent another year with the Washington Redskins, but will always be remembered for his days with the Dolphins. He recorded most of his success in Miami, where he put up numbers worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.

"In my opinion, that's a no-brainer Hall of Fame player," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "What a guy. He was a phenomenal teammate here. We only had him the one year, yet he affected the team so positively."

Taylor ranks sixth in NFL history with 139.5 sacks. The league began counting the statistic in 1982. His 131 sacks with the Dolphins are the most in franchise history. Taylor was a six-time Pro Bowl selection, winning the Defensive Player of the Year in 2006.

He said he made the decision after consulting with friends, including former Dolphins teammates and brother-in-law Zach Thomas."