Chiefs’ Andy Reid questions NFL rule after Teair Tart avoids ejection following Travis Kelce strike

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid remained perplexed by the decision not to eject Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Teair Tart from Friday night’s game after he struck Travis Kelce in the head.                    

Speaking to the media Monday ahead of the Chiefs’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Reid was asked about the NFL rule that called for an unnecessary roughness penalty as opposed to an automatic suspension. 

“Yeah, I don’t understand that — that rule,” Reid said. 

The incident took place in the third quarter after Kelce continued to block after the whistle was blown. Tart appeared to strike Kelce with an open-handed blow in retaliation. 

“I guess it’s open-hand fist, whatever, I don’t know. I mean, 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,” Reid continued. 

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According to the NFL rule book, an open-hand strike is illegal but does not call for a mandated disqualification. A closed-fist punch would call for an automatic disqualification. 

Reid was asked if he had gotten clarity from the league regarding the decision.

“Yeah, I will work that out with the league,” he said. 

TAYLOR SWIFT FANS GO AFTER CHARGERS PLAYER FOR OPEN-HAND SLAP ON TRAVIS KELCE: ‘THAT WAS LOW’

While Tart did not face additional repercussions from the league for the play, he was called out by Taylor Swift fans on social media. Tart responded by posting a photo on Instagram with a caption that read, “I’m too swift with it even in Brazil…” 

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