The Los Angeles Chargers held strong for a 27-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in São Paulo, Brazil on Friday. But one of the biggest players on the field for the Chargers got into hot water early in the second half.
About halfway through the third quarter, Chargers defensive tackle Teair Tart got tangled up with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on a play. While blocking Tart, Kelce held on to Tart’s elbow after the play and seemed to push him back a few steps, which Tart seemed to take issue with.
The result was Tart throwing hands at Kelce, smacking the tight end on his facemask.
Because the hit initially looked like a punch right to Kelce’s face, many assumed Tart would be ejected from the game. Instead, Tart was hit with a unnecessary roughness penalty, moving the Chiefs forward 9 yards for half the distance to the goal line.
On the broadcast, former NFL referee Terry McAulay explained that Tart wasn’t ejected because he used an open palm with the hit instead of a closed fist. If Tart had punched Kelce directly, he would have been thrown out. The officials also deemed that Tart did not use an amount of force that would be considered grounds for disqualification.
It wasn’t deemed as serious as what Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter did one night earlier, when he was ejected before the first snap of the game for spitting on an opposing player.
Though Tart was not thrown out of the game, Kansas City did take advantage of the opportunity, with Patrick Mahomes scrambling for an 11-yard rushing touchdown on the very next play.
Under the NFL rulebook, a 15-yard personal foul penalty can be called if a player is “striking an opponent with his fists” or swinging at a player’s head or neck area. There are exceptions if the player uses an open palm, but only while trying to ward off a player at the line of scrimmage. Referees are also allowed to disqualify players when they believe the foul is particularly flagrant.
Regardless, Los Angeles was fortunate Tart was allowed to stay, as the veteran tackle went on to have two huge batted passes later in the second half. In the fourth quarter, Tart got a hand on Patrick Mahomes’ pass to Noah Gray during the Chiefs’ failed two-point conversion attempt. The points would have tied up the game at 20-all at the time, but Tart was able to keep the lead for the Chargers.
Then, on Kansas City’s final drive, Tart batted down another Mahomes pass, this time aiming for Hollywood Brown. As a result, the Chiefs were forced to settle for a field goal, which eventually led to the Chargers’ six-point win.
Smack aside, it was a huge game for Tart. Last season with the Chargers, Tart defended two passes the entire season; in one game, he’s already tied that number. He also had a solo tackle in the win.
It’s unclear whether the NFL will review the call, but for now, Tart is in the clear. As for Kelce and the Chiefs, it’s difficult to blame Tart’s presence for the loss given the team’s slow offensive start.