Several media outlets have reported Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was fined $10,000 for kicking Ravens safety Ed Reed as he was sliding after a scramble late in the second quarter of Baltimore's 28-13 victory in Sunday's AFC Championship Game.
Brady left the pocket in the waning seconds of the first half and decided to slide, but as he did so his leg came up and made contact with Reed, who was in pursuit at the time. Brady's foot hit Reed in the leg/knee and did not elicit a flag at the time.
Reed, speaking on a Baltimore radio station earlier in the week, said Brady called him to apologize for his actions.
"I told him - you know, we talked," Reed told WJZ-FM in Baltimore. "We talked actually not too long ago; we talked on the phone. He actually reached out to me, texted me. I tried to text him back, but the message exploded after 12 seconds, so I had to call him … and he just apologized and what not. But I told him, 'You know, it's good, man.'"
The league evidently did not agree and decided the fine was an appropriate punishment. Considering the NFL already protects quarterbacks to a great degree, allowing them to slide on such plays and therefore not be hit, Brady's kick deserved some punishment.
Reed went on to say that despite the incident he has nothing but great respect for Brady.
"I know he's a great player," Reed said. "I respect Brady and his game for all it stands for, and I know he's not a dirty player. And emotions get going in the game."
