Brady's groin may be hurt
QB could have been injured in playoff loss
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's decision to forgo the Pro Bowl in Hawaii is due in part to a groin injury, two sources close to Brady said yesterday.
The severity of the injury isn't known at this time. Calls to Brady's agent, Don Yee, weren't returned yesterday, and the Patriots have not made any statement regarding the quarterback's decision to pull out of the game.
Brady was at Gillette Stadium yesterday along with several players who routinely stop in for workouts. According to published reports, Brady played in the Michael Jordan
It is unclear when Brady suffered the groin injury. For most of the season, he was listed on the weekly injury report with a right shoulder injury, and the team also reported he sustained a shin injury in a Dec. 11 game at Buffalo.
That would seem to indicate that Brady injured his groin in the Jan. 14 playoff game in Denver. Brady wasn't sacked in the game but faced heavy pressure throughout.
The injury also could be what is often referred to as a ''sports hernia." When Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was diagnosed with one in September, Philadelphia trainer Rick Burkholder explained it as a lower abdominal strain that became chronic enough to lead to groin pain.
At the time, Burkholder estimated the recovery at 8-12 weeks. The Eagles punter, Dirk Johnson, reportedly underwent surgery for a ''sports hernia" July 22 and played in the team's season opener Sept. 12.
Brady officially pulled out of the Pro Bowl Friday, and was replaced by the Chiefs' Trent Green. The game is Feb. 12 in Hawaii.
Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour also withdrew from the Pro Bowl, citing an injury.
Belichick to analyze game
Patriots coach Bill Belichick will serve as a guest analyst on ABC's Super Bowl pregame show. ''I was invited to participate in ABC's pregame show and saw it as an interesting opportunity to gain a different perspective on the Super Bowl," Belichick said in a statement. He will work on ABC's field-level set, with Mike Tirico . . . The Patriots announced that they are allocating seven players to NFL Europe for the 2006 season: running back Earl Charles, quarterback Todd Mortensen, receiver Rich Musinski, offensive tackle Jeff Roehl, cornerback Antwain Spann, offensive guard Nick Steitz, and safety Raymond Ventrone. The team also re-signed linebacker Eric Alexander, offensive tackle Wesley Britt, and guard Ryan Krug, all of whom were on the 2005 practice squad. Long snapper Jon Condo was also signed. Jerome Solomon of the Globe staff contributed to this report from Pittsburgh. 
