Ed Reed has been handed a $55,000 (£34,000) fine by the NFL for a hit on Victor Cruz.
The Baltimore Ravens safety committed the foul in the fourth quarter of their game against the New York Giants last Sunday.
Despite the league's ruling, the Giants receiver said after the game that he thought that Reed's challenge was legal.
Earlier in the season, Reed was handed a one-game ban for a third hit on a defenseless player in a four-year span, but later appealed the decision.
