League won't announce the fine until Friday.
The Browns' T.J. Ward has been fined $15,000 for this hit against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.BEREA -- Browns rookie safety T.J. Ward has been fined $15,000 for his hit on Cincinnati receiver Jordan Shipley.
The Associated Press first reported the fine and a Plain Dealer source confirmed it.
In the Browns' open locker room period on Wednesday, Ward said he had not yet heard from the NFL on a fine.
"I just want to let it be known that it wasn't malicious intent to knock him oout or to get him hurt," Ward said. "I just reacted to what I saw and tried to make a play.
"The way it happened, I didn't really try to hit him with everything I had, but still it was a pretty violent hit. I wasn't trying to aim for his helmet in any way. I just hit what I saw. It all happened so fast."
Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy is good friends with Shipley from their days as teammates at University of Texas. McCoy said Ward "was trying to make a play. I thought it was a great play. Unfortunately, (Shipley) got hurt. It's just one of those things. It's football, a violent sport."
Shipley suffered a concussion from the hit. Ward was accused of delivering a cheap shot by Bengals players after the game.
Mike Pereira, the former NFL vice president of officiating now serving as an analyst for Fox Sports, told The Plain Dealer on Tuesday that Ward should be fined at least $25,000 for what he called "one of the worst" cheap shots he had seen in a while.
Ward said of Pereira's comments, "Everyone's entitled to his opinion."