Darrell Taylor Bio
Darrell Lamond Taylor (born March 24, 1997) is an American professional football defensive end. Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 267 pounds, he plays as an edge rusher in the National Football League (NFL). After starring as a pass rusher for the Tennessee Volunteers in college, Taylor entered the league as a second-round draft pick and has continued to develop as a rotational defender.
Over the course of his professional career, Taylor has played for the Seattle Seahawks, the Chicago Bears, the Houston Texans, and the New England Patriots. Known for his length, quick first step, and ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks, he has built a reputation as a productive situational pass rusher.
Early Life and Background
Darrell Lamond Taylor was born on March 24, 1997, in Hopewell, Virginia, United States. He grew up in the same small Virginia city where he would later attend high school and begin his football journey. Hopewell, located along the James River south of Richmond, has a long history of producing competitive football talent, and Taylor emerged as one of the most promising prospects from the area in recent years.
He attended Hopewell High School, where he played football and developed into a highly regarded defensive prospect. Rated as a four-star recruit by national recruiting services, Taylor drew scholarship offers from several major college football programs, including the University of Florida and Virginia Tech. He ultimately chose to commit to the University of Tennessee, opting to play in the Southeastern Conference at the collegiate level.
Path to American Football
Taylor arrived at the University of Tennessee in 2015, where he joined a defensive program working to rebuild its identity under head coach Butch Jones. During his first season, he redshirted to preserve a year of eligibility, allowing him to develop physically and learn the Volunteers’ defensive system. As a redshirt freshman, he saw action in eight games and recorded nine tackles, including one for loss, showing flashes of his pass-rushing potential.
By his redshirt sophomore year, Taylor had grown into a more prominent role on Tennessee’s defense, finishing the season with 27 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. He then broke out as a redshirt junior, leading the Volunteers with eight sacks and 11 tackles for loss while adding 36 total tackles. As a redshirt senior, he entered the season on the Chuck Bednarik Award watchlist and tied for second in the Southeastern Conference with 8.5 sacks, finishing with 46 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and four passes defended. Across his college career, Taylor totaled 118 tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and seven passes defended in 38 games.
Darrell Taylor Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
Taylor was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine ahead of the 2020 draft but did not participate in on-field drills after an offseason surgery. The Seattle Seahawks selected him in the second round with the 48th overall pick. He was placed on the active/non-football injury list at the start of training camp and later moved to the reserve/non-football injury list to begin the regular season, delaying his on-field debut.
He returned to practice in January 2021 and was activated the following year. In 2021, Taylor appeared in 16 games with five starts, finishing with 6.5 sacks, 37 total tackles, one pass defensed, and one forced fumble. His season included a frightening moment in a Sunday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when a neck and head injury forced him off the field on a stretcher; the Seahawks later confirmed he had feeling in all extremities and traveled home with the team.
Seattle Seahawks Breakthrough (2022–2023)
Taylor’s most productive stretch in Seattle came during the 2022 season, when he appeared in 16 games and started three. He set career highs with 9.5 sacks and four forced fumbles while adding 26 total tackles and a pass defensed. His ability to disrupt the pocket made him a key part of the Seahawks’ defensive rotation.
In 2023, Taylor played in all 17 regular season games, starting five, and contributed 5.5 sacks, 28 tackles, and a pass defensed. Across his four seasons in Seattle, he developed into a reliable edge rusher and a consistent contributor on passing downs.
Chicago Bears Era (2024)
On August 23, 2024, the Seattle Seahawks traded Darrell Taylor to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick. The move gave Taylor a fresh start with a defense looking to bolster its pass rush. In his first game as a Bear in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans, Taylor recorded two sacks and a forced fumble during a 24–17 comeback win, providing an immediate return for Chicago.
Houston Texans Era (2025)
On March 14, 2025, Taylor signed with the Houston Texans as a free agent. He was active for the early portion of the season before suffering an ankle injury in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos, which led to a placement on injured reserve on November 5. Taylor was activated on January 6, 2026, but was released six days later as the team reshaped its roster.
New England Patriots (2025)
On January 14, 2026, Taylor was signed to the New England Patriots’ practice squad. He was released by the team on January 23, ending a brief stay on the New England roster.
Notable Events and Milestones
Through the first ten weeks of the 2025 season, Taylor had registered 126 total tackles, 24.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and five pass deflections in his NFL career. He is one of the more productive pass rushers to come out of the Tennessee program in recent memory and has now worn the uniform of four NFL franchises.
Darrell Taylor Career Wins
As a defensive player, Darrell Taylor’s impact is measured more in pressures, sacks, and forced fumbles than in win totals. Across his stops in Seattle, Chicago, and Houston, he has delivered key plays that have shaped important games for his teams.
NFL Highlights
Taylor’s career-best single-game performance came in his Bears debut in Week 1 of the 2024 season, when he posted two sacks and a forced fumble against the Tennessee Titans in a comeback win. He also set a personal high with 9.5 sacks during the 2022 season with Seattle, a year that established him as a consistent threat off the edge.
Other Performances
During his redshirt senior season at Tennessee, Taylor tied for second in the Southeastern Conference with 8.5 sacks, capping one of the most productive pass-rushing careers in recent Volunteers history. He entered that year on the Chuck Bednarik Award watchlist, recognizing the top defensive player in college football.
Darrell Taylor Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Details about Darrell Taylor’s parents and immediate family are not widely confirmed in verified sources, and they have largely been kept out of the public spotlight throughout his football career.
Personal Life
Taylor grew up in Hopewell, Virginia, and has remained connected to his hometown throughout his professional journey. Public information about his spouse, children, or relationships is limited.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a transition year for Darrell Taylor, who signed with the Houston Texans in March and contributed as a rotational pass rusher before suffering an ankle injury in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos. The injury forced him onto injured reserve in early November, interrupting what had been a productive stretch in the Texans’ defensive scheme.
Through the games he played, Taylor added to his career totals in tackles and sacks while serving as a veteran presence on the edge. His release in January 2026, followed by a short stint on the New England Patriots’ practice squad, signaled the start of another chapter in a journeyman career that has already spanned four organizations.