Tom Brady Apologizes to Ed Reed for Controversial Slide

Tom Brady has apologized to Ed Reed for sliding into him like he was Ty Cobb trying to break up a double play. 

This is according to Reed himself, who shared the following with the press and comes to us via NFL.com's Marc Sessler:

"

I told him—you know, we talked. 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's just apologized and what not. But I told him, 'You know, it's good, man.

"

In case you missed the play in question, it came during the Baltimore Ravens' victory over the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

Brady went for the quarterback-safety slide to end a scramble before the hard-charging Reed could lay into him. However, Brady led with his cleats up in the air and aimed them into Reed's leg.

It was like Brady was using a stiff arm, only it was his leg, and by virtue of the slide he was already down.

So, there are really only two motivations for Brady to pull out this move: He was either trying to protect himself, or kick Reed. Perhaps a little of both, if we want to add a third option. 

Reed, who said his leg is "feeling alright" but "a little sore" appears to be taking the incident in stride. He had no harsh words or accusations for Brady. In fact, it was quite the opposite. 

Tom Brady is not a dirty player according to Reed. He is chalking this one up to the emotions of the game, and also raises the point that the quarterback is in a "tough" position on the slide. 

In the end, it appears to be no harm, no foul, and this shouldn't hinder Reed as he prepares for the Super Bowl. However, as Sessler also points out, the play is being reviewed by the league. So, Brady could still face punishment, which I wouldn't expect to be heavier than a fine.