Hobbs to Undergo Surgery

He may have struggled at times this season, and this may help to explain why.  According to a Fox Sports report, Hobbs will undergo surgery for an injury he endured through much of the season and the Super Bowl.

Hobbs will undergo surgery this week for a sports hernia and groin injury suffered earlier in the season, FOXSports.com has learned.

Hobbs continued to play despite the ailments, starting all but one of New England’s 19 games. But Hobbs aggravated the groin injury during the first quarter of Sunday’s 17-14 Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants.

That may explain why Hobbs struggled at a critical time. With 39 seconds remaining and New York at New England’s 13-yard line, the Patriots called a blitz that left Hobbs in single coverage with wide receiver Plaxico Burress. Hobbs slipped when juked by a double move, freeing Burress to catch the game-winning score from quarterback Eli Manning.

A source said Hobbs was so hobbled that he was relieved of kickoff return duties for Super Bowl XLII and replaced by running back Laurence Maroney.

“He was in horrible pain but he played through it,” the source said.