The NFL is reviewing Tom Brady’s slide in which he kicked Ravens safety Ed Reed in the first half of Sunday's AFC championship.
The league will determine if Brady should be issued a fine for the play, as "any play of that nature is routinely reviewed," said league spokesman Greg Aiello.
On the play, Brady slid to the ground as he was scrambling out of the pocket, and he had one leg raised in what looked to be an attempt to kick Reed. Brady did connect with Reed, who jumped over the quarterback to avoid a hit.
Reed downplayed the kick this week on Glenn Younes’ radio show.
Reed said Brady reached out to him after the game and the two had a phone conversation.
"A little slide kick, you know what I'm saying," Reed said. "But it's a tough spot quarterbacks are in. I understand Brady's point, with him protecting himself. I know he's a great player. I respect Brady and his game for all it stands for, and I know he's not a dirty player. Emotions get going in the game."
Reed said Brady apologized for the play.
"I told him, 'It's good man,'" Reed said. "Brady is a great competitor and I love going against him and I know where his heart is in this game. It was all good. Yeah it kind of put fuel on the fire for us to want to play even harder and hit even harder and just be more successful."
Ravens safety Bernard Pollard said Monday that Brady should be issued some sort of punishment by the NFL for the play.
"He knew what he was doing," Pollard said. "I am the type of player where it has to go both ways. It really does; it has to go both ways. Hopefully the NFL will do something about it. If they don't, that's fine. If they do, then that's fine.
"But, I think, for me as a player, we all know emotions and everything are on the field. We are going to say things, we're going to do things, but when it's all said and done, if you want to keep the game clean, you want to keep this thing going in the right direction, everybody needs to be penalized for their actions."
