Jacksonville Jaguars safety Barry Church has reportedly been fined $24,309 for his helmet-to-helmet hit on New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in the AFC Championship on Sunday.
The hit, which took place late in the second-quarter, resulted in a 15-yard personal foul penalty for unnecessary roughness and left Gronkowski concussed, forcing him to sit out for the remainder of the game.
"I just tried to dislodge the ball," Church said after the game, per Jacksonville.com. "He's a big dude. But I guess they felt it was too high of a hit. It was a tough call, but you have to go with what they call."
Gronkowski hasn't yet cleared the NFL's concussion protocol, making him questionable for the Super Bowl next week. The tight end didn't participate in the Patriots' practices through Friday.
However, New England is "optimistic that he'll be cleared to play" on Sunday, according to the Boston Herald.
