What Reid Said About Rule That Didn't Eject Chargers Lineman

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Andy Reid is paid handsomely as the NFL’s winnigest active head coach, but he also doesn’t want to pay unnecessary fines for public criticism of officiating.

Still, after Reid and 17.3 million YouTube viewers saw Travis Kelce head and neck snap back when Teair Tart blasted him in the facemask, the head coach wondered why the Chargers’ defensive tackle wasn’t immediately ejected.

“Yeah, I don't understand that, that rule,” Reid said Monday afternoon. “I didn't … I guess it's open hand, fist, whatever. I don't know. I mean, I don't know all that, what their decision was on that. But he definitely got hit in the head pretty hard, whether it was a open fist or closed fist.”

The penalty

On the play in question, during to that point the Chiefs’ best drive of the game midway through the third quarter, Tart and Kelce exchanged words following the snap. After Kareem Hunt had converted the third-and-1 with a short run, Kelce gave Tart a bit of an extra shove. Tart answered with a lightning-fast right hook.

Except, as Reid mentioned, the contact to Kelce’s head and neck area was with an open hand, not a closed fist. But the power behind the contact created by Tart, a 6-2, 315-pound veteran, appeared to move Kelce’s head dangerously backward on slow-motion replays.

“Yeah, I think it's the open-hand, closed-hand deal,” Reid said, “I'm not sure how you determine that. Which hurts more?”

Sep 5, 2025; Sao Paulo, BRAZIL; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) and Los Angeles Chargers safety Alohi Gilman (32) on the ground in the first half during a NFL game at Corinthians Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amanda Perobelli/Reuters via Imagn Images | Amanda Perobelli/Reuters via Imagn Images

Open hand vs. closed fist

According to rules analyst Terry McAulay, officials only flagged Tart for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct and didn’t eject him because the contact was with an open hand. In other words, Tart wasn’t dumb enough to risk breaking his fingers by punching Kelce’s hard helmet.

It was a critical decision in the outcome of the game. After the penalty, Tart deflected Mahomes’ pass on the first play of the fourth quarter. But Tart’s critical contribution was at the end of that drive.

[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Sep 5, 2025; Sao Paulo, BRAZIL; Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton (8) runs against Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill (23) in the second half during a NFL game at Corinthians Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amanda Perobelli/Reuters via Imagn Images | Amanda Perobelli/Reuters via Imagn Images

After Mahomes connected with Kelce on a 37-yard touchdown to cut the Chargers’ lead to 20-18, Tart’s big paw swatted the quarterback’s two-point-conversion pass to Noah Gray, preserving the Los Angeles lead. Tart had a message for Chiefs fans afterward, too.

Teair Tart on IG: “I’m too swift with it even in Brazil.” pic.twitter.com/ZWoyjval47
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) September 6, 2025

The rule doesn’t seem to align with the league’s emphasis on sportsmanship, which ejected Jalen Carter just six seconds into the season for spitting on Dak Prescott in Thursday’s season-opening Cowboys-Eagles game. Carter could even miss this week’s Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs (3:25 p.m. CT, FOX/WDAF Channel 4, 96.5 The Fan).

And speaking of fines, at the end of this week, Tart will certainly see some of his paycheck donated to charity. Reid, meanwhile, isn’t interested in further debate in the public eye.

Yeah, I'll work out that with the league,” the head coach said. “I mean, I can't get into all that. I don't have enough money to do all that.”

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