The National Football League's Sean Taylor, a star for the Washington Redskins, has died after being shot at his home near Miami, local television stations in Washington report.

Taylor, 24, who was the Redskins first pick in the 2004 draft, was shot in the leg, severing his femoral artery, during an apparent home robbery on Monday.

He was airlifted to Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment but died from his wound after heavy blood loss, local affiliates of CBS News and ABC News said.

The Miami Herald reported that Taylor and other occupants of the house heard intruders at the rear door and Taylor was shot in the leg.

Police said they were called at 1:45 am by a woman who said Taylor had been shot.

"We've yet to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting," said Miami-Dade Police spokeswoman Kathy Webb.

Miami-Dade police Lt. Nancy Perez, speaking to reporters outside Taylor's home, said Taylor "was shot in the lower extremities. He was airlifted to Ryder Trauma (centre at Jackson Memorial Hospital) in critical condition."

Taylor, a college star with the University of Miami, bought the four-bedroom home in Palmetto Bay, a village just south of Miami, for $US900,000 ($A1.04 million) two years ago.

The hard-hitting safety had five interceptions this season but had been sidelined the last two weeks with a leg injury.

Taylor had a run-in with the law two years ago stemming from a gun-related incident.

He was charged with three felony counts of aggravated assault with a weapon and one count each of simple assault and simple battery in connection with a June 2005 incident where he was accused of waving a gun at a group of people he suspected of stealing his all-terrain vehicle.

He could have faced up to 46 years in prison.

In June 2006 he pleaded no contest to misdemeanour assault and battery charges and prosecutors dropped the more serious felony charges.

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