Teair Tart draws boos for late shove of Geno Smith after Kelce slap controversy
Chargers nose tackle shoved Raiders quarterback late in Las Vegas; play went unpenalized one week after Tart was fined for slapping Travis Kelce
Los Angeles Chargers nose tackle Teair Tart was the focus of renewed controversy Monday night after shoving Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith to the turf late in the third quarter of the Chargers’ 20-9 win at Allegiant Stadium.
Tart beat left guard Dylan Parham on the play and reached Smith after the quarterback had already released the ball. Tart appeared to push Smith to the ground with his right arm well after the pass, drawing a chorus of boos from the crowd. No flag was thrown on the field, but Tart could face league discipline similar to the sanction he received last week.
The incident comes one week after Tart delivered an open-handed slap to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in the Chargers’ season-opening game in Sao Paulo. The Week 1 play resulted in a $12,172 fine for Tart; the slap was ruled an open-handed contact to the head, a treatment that avoided an immediate ejection, NFL officials said at the time.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid publicly questioned the handling of the Kelce play after the Sao Paulo game, saying, "I don't understand that rule. I guess it's open-hand, fist, whatever, I don't know. I don't know what their decision was on that. But he definitely got hit in the head pretty hard, whether it was an open fist or a closed fist." Kelce showed no visible injury after that play and appealed to the officials on the field.
Tart, a 315-pound veteran who has played for multiple teams, drew heavy attention on social media following the Kelce incident and later shared a social-media post referencing a well-known comedy sketch that many viewed as mocking the reaction to the slap.
On Monday in Las Vegas, referees again declined to throw a flag on Tart’s shove of Smith, but the NFL’s Department of Football Operations reviews plays for potential fines and suspensions after the fact. Tart’s recent actions have drawn scrutiny from opposing teams, fans and league officials because both episodes involved contact with opposing players after the ball was released.
The Chargers did not immediately provide a comment on Tart’s latest contact. The Raiders declined to comment beyond noting that Smith was attended to by trainers on the sideline and returned to the game. The NFL did not immediately announce whether it would open an inquiry into the Las Vegas play.
Tart’s two incidents this season underscore growing attention on enforcement of rules governing contact with defenseless players and helmet-to-helmet or head-area contact. League discipline can include fines, suspensions and warnings depending on intent, prior history and severity. As of publication, Tart’s future discipline, if any, remained pending an NFL review.