FoxNFL Sunday: McNabb is hurt worse than you know....

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http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/4903072

McNabb is hurt worse than you know

Jay Glazer / FOXSports.com

It could be a long, painful year for Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.

While the world watched McNabb suffer a bruised sternum on national television in the opener, a new injury has flared up for the star quarterback —an injury the team fears could affect him for the remainder of the season.

FOXSports.com has learned that this week the Eagles star quarterback was tested for a sports hernia, a very vague tear or "disruption" in the abdominal area that does require surgery. McNabb had an MRI taken early this week and the results were sent to America's foremost sports hernia expert Dr. William Meyers.

According to those close to McNabb, the MRI was not conclusive enough to determine whether or not McNabb had an abdominal strain or a sports hernia. Often an MRI doesn't show a sports hernia in the early stages. In fact, in many cases a proper diagnosis cannot be made for quite a while.

But if McNabb does have a sports hernia, it would explain his reluctance so far this season to run with the ball. Fans and media have been wondering why McNabb has not run the ball as often as in the past. Heading into Week 3, he had just the one rush for no gain. Such an injury is excruciating when a player tries to open it up.

If, in fact, McNabb's ab strain turns out to be a sports hernia then he will have to play through the pain in the area for the remainder of the season as rest and treatment won't really cure the problem. Surgery would also be required following the year. The team would have to monitor his reps in practice throughout the season and rest him at times during the week until the Eagles season is complete.

The painful injury may have resulted from how much work McNabb does on his core. McNabb was first tested for the injury when he tweaked his core area in camp but at that point too Meyers found nothing conclusive. The fact that the pain is still prevalent has led the team to fear that he could have a sports hernia.

Sports hernias are prevalent in many athletes and can linger painfully for a while as making a definitive determination is still difficult in the medical field. The team's hope is that he simply has an abdominal strain that won't go away. That at least would preclude him from having surgery and treatment would also eventually alleviate the problem.

If McNabb does end up needing surgery for a sports hernia, he could expect to be sidelined for four to six weeks. But even if surgery is required, the team does not anticipate him having it during the season.