Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Fined $21,000 For Hit On Byron Leftwich

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has been fined $21,000 by the NFL for his hit on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich in Week 1 of the 2012 NFL preseason, according to a report from CSN Phillly. The official ruling was that Rodgers-Cromartie “unnecessarily struck a defenseless player in the head and neck area.”

Rodgers-Cromartie was accepting of the fine, though he downplayed the seriousness of the hit:

Rodgers-Cromartie thought his hit (see below) on Leftwich was a clean one, but the NFL deemed the play which was flagged for unnecessary roughness, worthy of the league’s minimum fine. The total amount itself is a five percent increase over the 2011 total due to terms found in the newest Collective Bargaining Agreement.

As you can see in the footage, Rodgers-Cromartie leaves his feet and hits Leftwich high on the play as the quarterback is releasing the ball.