Jim Harbaugh won't win over Chiefs fans with Tony Jefferson ejection comment

Los Angeles Chargers safety Tony Jefferson got ejected from Sunday’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs for a collision with Tyquan Thornton that led to an on-field skirmish between both teams.

The erratic NFL might choose to fine or even suspend Jefferson for the hit, but it’s tough to predict either way due to how seemingly random the league can be in its rules oversight and judgment.

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh? He’s not faulting Jefferson in the slightest.

After the game, Harbaugh kept it short and sweet when asked about the play that got Jefferson ejected: "I saw a football play is what I saw."

That sort of seems to be the generally agreed-upon stance by most NFL fans online, at least. It was a bang-bang play and the ejection felt more like a reaction to the result of the play, rather than a judgment of the actions contained within it.

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh — Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Jefferson, after all, went in to make a play on a receiver and Thornton lowered to brace himself for contact. It was brutal, no doubt, but at those speeds in real-time, it’s hard to say with confidence that it was an ejection-worthy play.

As for Jefferson, alongside an apology for a certain gesture he threw at Chiefs fans on his way out of the stadium, the savvy veteran otherwise kept it PR-speak when asked about the latest extremely violent AFC West battle with a fierce rival.

"I think when it comes to December, it's kind of mandatory,” Jefferson said, according to Eric Smith of Chargers.com. “I've been in the league for a while and I know once it gets to this time of the year, physicality, the most physical team usually wins in this time. It's cold, it's brisk. I was in the AFC North, so I've had a lot of experience with this type of weather, what games be like.”

Apologies aside, Jefferson also didn’t have any problems getting down in the dirt with a Chiefs account on social media after the game.

I’m rich. Go cope lil dude
— Tony Jefferson (@Tljefferson23) December 15, 2025

A fine? Unavoidable, it seems. The gesture will take care of that, even if the NFL comes through and mildly surprises by letting the ejection be the only punishment he gets for the bang-bang play.

No matter what happens, though, there’s no underselling Jefferson’s importance to the Chargers this year as they attempt to sweep the entire AFC West, nor Harbaugh’s commitment to defending him when necessary.

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