IRVING, Texas -- Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate was fined $21,000 for a blindside block on Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee, a source said.
Tate was not penalized for the hit, a crackback block that occurred when Lee was in pursuit of scrambling Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. However, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said after his team's 27-7 loss Sunday that he expected Tate to be fined for the play.
In a radio interview with KJR-AM in Seattle on Wednesday, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Tate was fined and intends to appeal.
Tate launched himself into Lee, striking him in the chest and chin with the crown of his helmet. Lee, who landed on his back with his feet in the air, was evaluated for a concussion and returned to the game later that series.
The hit was illegal because Lee was considered a defenseless player since he couldn't see the blow coming.
"I knew that I didn't hit him in his helmet," Tate said after the game. "I hit him somewhere down here [at chest level]. But the rules change so much that you never really know."
The Cowboys were bothered by Tate celebrating the hit by strutting and flexing his muscles while Lee was still on the ground, although Lee called that kind of hit part of the game.
"Crackback hits, that's not a definition of toughness," Lee said Wednesday. "A definition of toughness is hitting, squaring up, being able to do your job as hard as you can every single play. That's at least what I believe. Anybody can crackback block."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.