Should Teair Tart have been ejected for smacking Travis Kelce during Chargers-Chiefs?

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 was a player who 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 had ended 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 right on a facemask.

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Because the hit initially looked like a punch right to Kelce’s face, many assumed that Tart would be ejected from the game. Instead, Tart was hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty, moving the Chiefs forward nine yards.

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.

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, it ended up being lucky for Los Angeles that 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 for in the Chiefs’ two-point conversion attempt. The points would have tied up the game at 20-all, 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 sealed the six-point loss.

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.