Taylor was sixth in the world rankings after the World Championship. On 27 January 2017, in an interview conducted before the start of the 2017 Masters, Taylor officially confirmed that he would retire after the 2018 World Darts Championship. He also stated that he would cut down on his non-televised appearances in the 2017 season. He did not play in the Grand Prix or UK Open. He reached the semi-finals of the Masters, losing 11–9 to Gary Anderson. He finished third in the table in the 2017 Premier League and trailed Peter Wright 4–0 in the semi-finals. Taylor gained the lead for the first time at 7–6, but missed a host of doubles including one to win the match and was beaten 10–9.