Terry McAulay explains Teair Tart controversy after apparent punch thrown at Travis Kelce

In the third quarter of Friday’s Chargers vs. Chiefs game in Brazil, it appeared as if Teair Tart threw a punch at Travis Kelce. The officials threw the flag, but did not deem it worthy of an ejection, and Tart stayed in the game.

Rules analyst Terry McAulay explained why Tart was not ejected. He said the league office makes that call, and they deemed it an open-handed effort rather than a closed-handed punch.

The incident occurred in the second half after a scrum at the line of scrimmage. Tart and Kelce exchanged words, and after Kelce pushed, Tart swung back. But league said it did not warrant disqualification, according to McAulay.

Terry McAulay explains why Chargers defensive lineman Teair Tart wasn't ejected for this swing at Travis Kelce.

"According to Walt Anderson, they said because it was an open hand contact to the head, that was not disqualifying action." pic.twitter.com/Ke2KsUxg54

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 6, 2025

“The decision comes from either executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent or his senior vice president of officiating,” McAulay said on the YouTube broadcast. “They looked at it, and according to Walt Anderson, they said because it was an open-hand contact to the head, that was not a disqualifying action.”

Analyst Kurt Warner then asked McAulay if the amount of force plays a role in whether or not to eject a player for striking an opponent. The former NFL official said it could be the case, but the league office simply said an open hand in this situation was not worthy of an ejection.

“All that can come into play,” McAulay said. “But on this one, they felt that it was just an open hand blow to the head – not a closed fist, not a punch and they did not disqualify in this case.”

Teair Tart would later be front-and-center during a key play early in the fourth quarter. After Patrick Mahomes found Travis Kelce for a touchdown, the Chiefs lined up for a two-point conversion. However, the attempt failed as Tart tipped the ball at the line of scrimmage – keeping the Chargers out in front, 20-18.

Friday night’s matchup marks the first international game of the year for the NFL and the second year the league played a game in Brazil. It also marks a historic night for YouTube, which is airing the matchup for free on its platform. Rich Eisen and Warner had the call on a broadcast produced by NBC, which is where McAulay worked on the Sunday Night Football and college football broadcasts.