Lenny Megliola of the MetroWest Daily News is reporting that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady played half of the season with a hernia and will have surgery to correct the problem, probably within two weeks, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The hernia problem did not keep Brady from practicing or force him to miss any time, but he did throw some passes uncharacteristically high as the season went on, indicating the injury may have affected his release. Brady passed up playing in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii on doctors' orders.

Michael Felger of the Boston Herald writes that the Patriots are in for an overhaul at receiver this offseason, and that means Super Bowl XL will be a showcase for two players who could be on their radar. Pittsburgh's Antwaan Randle El and Seattle's Joe Jurevicius are "Patriot types" in more ways than one. Both are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in March. The Pats have already made a run at Jurevicius once, bringing him in for a free agent visit in 2002 before settling on Carolina's Donald Hayes. Suffice it to say, the Pats picked the wrong guy. "If the opportunity presented itself, I would have (signed with the Pats)," Jurevicius said yesterday. "But they went with somebody else. That's the way the cookie crumbles."

Michael Felger of the Boston Herald writes that early in the 2003 season, ESPN analyst Tom Jackson drew the ire of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick when he said the Pats players "hate their coach" following the release of Lawyer Milloy. Jackson admitted that the two have not patched things up since. Jackson said, "I have not spoken with him." Belichick joins the ABC/ESPN pregame show from the Super Bowl on Sunday and will do the broadcast from a secondary location on the field away from the main set with Jackson.

Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa of the Boston Herald's "Inside Track" report that Tedy Bruschi will be appearing in a 60-second commercial which will air during ABC's Super Bowl XL broadcast on Sunday, February 5th. The commercial celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Super Bowl and pays tribute to the players, fans and families that comprise "NFL Nation."

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Tom Curran of the Providence Journal offers his daily sports blog with Patriots notes and commentary.