Wilhite said he ran to a convenience store where he asked the clerk to call police. Wilhite told police he pulled his groin while running. No arrests were reported.

Wilhite, who was not on the Patriots final injury report last week, was a surprise scratch for Sunday s game, a 26-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Patriots coach Bill Belichick said after the game that Wilhite "had an injury [Sunday] morning."

In a conference call on Tuesday, Belichick was asked about Wilhite again. "Any personal situation, I ll keep internally," Belichick said. He also said he had no update on the player s condition.

Wilhite, a second-year player, appeared in all 16 games during his rookie season with the Patriots .

Belichick talked about the team s newest addition, defensive lineman Terdell Sands, signed as a free agent on Monday, and the release of linebacker Prescott Burgess, whom the Patriots acquired from the Ravens on Sept. 22 for an undisclosed draft choice. Belichick said the Patriots hope to continue to work with Burgess, which means he could be brought back if a roster opening occurs.

The signing of Sands came one day after nose tackle Vince Wilfork sprained his left ankle against Atlanta. It isn t known how much time he ll miss. Sands, 6-foot-7, 335 pounds, spent the last six seasons with the Oakland Raiders but was waived in preseason cuts this year.

"He certainly has the frame to play end. He s tall and he s long and he s big. He s got the frame to play inside, too. It s rare to see a player that s that size, that athletic and that long," Belichick said.