Steelers safety Tyrone Carter said this morning he was fined $5,000 by NFL officials for his open-field hit Sunday on Chicago tight end Greg Olsen, a penalty he plans to appeal and a charge of leading with his helmet that he vigorously denies.

"Yeah, they banged me for the hit. $5,000. Unreal," said Carter, who was starting for the injured Troy Polamalu and planned to test his bruised left thigh in individual workouts -- without contact -- in this afternoon's practice before he plays Sunday in Cincinnati. "They said I lead with the crown of my helmet. I watched the play over and over again [on tape} and I hit him in the shoulder, I didn't hit him in the head. So I don't know. Ask the league. Of course, I'm going to appeal. I'm not going to let them just take my money just for nothing.

"He was a big-target receiver, he's like 6-6 or something like that. Here I am 5-9. How am I going to hit a guy 6-6 in the head? And I got hurt on the play. It's crazy. But that's what they said and that's what they fined me for, but I can't let that stop me how I play the game.

Olsen was running a deep pattern down the left side of Soldier Field when he and Carter collided with 4:47 remaining in the first half of what became a 17-14 Chicago victory last Sunday.

Carter, who recalled being twice fined by the NFL previously in his 10 seasons, said he appealed a similar penalty in 2003 while playing for the New York Jets -- and accused of improperly clouting current Steelers teammate Hines Ward.

That $7,500 fine was reduced by one-third after appeal, Carter said. "So we're back to $5,000 again."

As for his availability against the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium, he added that he expects to start: "Fortunately, I know I'll be ready for Sunday. I know I won't be 100 percent, but as long as I'm around that 90-95, I think I'll be all right."