The NFL slapped a $21,000 fine on Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on Friday for his hit on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich in in the Eagles' 24-23 victory last week.
Rodgers-Cromartie was flagged for a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty after striking Leftwich in the head and neck on Aug. 9.
Illegal hits of this nature drew a $20,000 penalty last season. A league spokesman told NFL.com and NFL Network that Rodgers-Cromartie was fined $21,000 as the result of Article 46 of the collective bargaining agreement, which states minimum fines will increase by 5 percent with each new league year under the new labor deal.
Leftwich wasn't injured on the play (which Rodgers-Cromartie, not surprisingly, argues was a legal shot), but the NFL saw a perfect example of what it's trying to avoid on the field.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.