Tom Brady's karate kick to the thigh of Ed Reed in Sunday's AFC Championship Game was not a high point for the New England Patriots quarterback.
Brady appeared to kick the Baltimore Ravens safety after sliding to safety, a move Reed says the veteran passer has since apologized for.
"Leg is feeling alright. A little sore right now," Reed told WJZ-FM on Monday. "A little slide kick (by Brady), you know what I'm saying. But it's a tough spot the quarterback's in. You know, I understand Brady's point. 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. And emotions get going in the game.
"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.' "
The NFL is investigating Brady's slide, The Associated Press reported Tuesday. "Any play of that nature is routinely reviewed," league spokesman Greg Aiello said.
Reed also added context to what occurred in the heat of the moment.
"For the most part, I didn't say anything to him when he said something to me at the game," Reed said. "... He was going, 'You want to play like that, let's go.' But no, 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."
Reed, of course, has two weeks to get rested and healthy for Super Bowl XLVII. Brady, meanwhile, has an entire offseason to think about a contest that went south in a hurry.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
