The NFL continues to set the precedent that cleat-to-groin kicks—inadvertent or not—will not be tolerated as they fined Tom Brady $10,000 for kicking Ed Reed during a second quarter slide in the AFC Championship Game.

Although Brady did contact Reed after the game to apologize and debunk any thought of malicious intent, the league still deemed the act as 'unnecessary roughness' and acted accordingly. Said Reed of Brady:

"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.'"

On his familiarity with Brady's trademark competitiveness, Reed also added:

"Brady's a great competitor and I love going against him and I know where his heart is at for this game. It was all good."

Earlier in the season, the league fined Lions' defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh $30,000 for a raised-leg kick to the groin of Texans' quarterback Matt Schaub. Suh later claimed it was completely accidental, but the league's strengthened stance on player safety continues to reign supreme.