EL SEGUNDO, Calif -- The NFL fined Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Teair Tart for slapping Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in the Chargers' 27-21 Week 1 win in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a source told ESPN.
According to NFL rules, the fine for a first offense of striking is $12,172. The NFL announces fines on Saturday afternoon.
After a play in the third quarter, Kelce shoved Tart, and Tart responded by slapping Kelce's helmet, drawing a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty. According to rules analyst Terry McAulay on the YouTube broadcast, Tart wasn't ejected because he made open-hand contact, which doesn't rise to the level of a disqualifying action. A closed fist, or punch, would have gotten Tart ejected.
Tart signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Charger