Los Angeles Chargers defensive lineman Teair Tart has been fined by the NFL following his controversial strike to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce during last week’s international clash in Brazil.
The incident occurred in the third quarter of the Chargers’ 27–21 victory, when Tart delivered an open-hand slap to Kelce’s helmet after being blocked on a running play that ended with a shove from the tight end.
The altercation sparked plenty of attention, especially after Tart took to Instagram afterward with a cheeky caption:
“I’m too swift with it even in Brazil.”
According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, the NFL confirmed that Tart was fined $12,172, the standard penalty for a first-time offender in such cases. While Tart avoided an ejection, a closed-fist punch would have resulted in immediate disqualification.
Following the game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid voiced frustration with the ruling.
“I don’t understand that rule,” Reid said. “I guess it’s open-hand, fist, whatever… but he definitely got hit in the head pretty hard, whether it was an open fist or a closed fist.”
Despite the controversy, the Chargers improved to 1–0 and now shift their focus to another AFC West rivalry matchup, as they face the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football with kickoff scheduled for 10 p.m. ET.
