Water is wet, right? To say that the National Football League's rules are inane is to state the obvious. The league hasn't cared about uniformity, clarity, or even sensibility in its application of fines or suspensions or punishments for as long as anyone can remember.
That much was made clear within the first two games of Week 1 on the NFL's schedule. Kansas City Chiefs fans (and everyone else watching the broadcast of the Chiefs-Chargers game on YouTube) was wondering how in the world Teair Tart remained on the field after slapping tight end Travis Kelce.
The NFL’s inconsistent punishments were on full display in Week 1
In case you missed the moment, Tart took a swing at Kelce with just under eight minutes remaining in the third quarter of Friday's game. It looked like a punch at first but was actually a slap, and therein lies the difference, according to the league's powers-that-be.
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
If that sounds asinine, it is.
Here's what makes the whole thing so egregious. On Thursday night, during the season-opening game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, Philly defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Dallas QB Dak Prescott just moments into the first quarter. The ejection was a bit of a shock, but the NFL set a precedent there.
Except they didn't. The next night featured a defender taking an actual swing—not just spitting—and somehow that only warranted a 15-yard penalty. Somehow attacking another player physically is okay if the hand is open. Sure.
For the Chiefs, Tart's ability to stay in the game became a real hurdle down the stretch. In the fourth quarter, Patrick Mahomes found Kelce for a wide-open 37-yard touchdown pass to bring the Chiefs within two points. But on the subsequent two-point attempt to tie the contest, Tart was able to get a hand on Mahomes' throw to Noah Gray and the pass was incomplete.
The Chiefs certainly shouldn't blame Tart for their problems in Brazil. The amount of self-inflicted wounds were embarrassing all night for the Chiefs—from silly penalties to costly drops to questionable calls. But the inability to make heads or tails of the NFL's application of punishments like this are still enough to drive fans crazy.