Controversial NFL player who smacked Travis Kelce hits rival quarterback with another cheap shot

Los Angeles Chargers nose tackle Teair Tart’s popularity continues to dwindle in the AFC West.

One week after smacking Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce across the facemask, the 315-pound NFL journeyman is being accused of a late hit on Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith.

And as was the case in Week 1, Tart wasn’t initially penalized for the obvious infraction.

The latest incident took place late in the third quarter of the Chargers’ 20-9 win over the Raiders in Las Vegas on Monday night. Tart managed to get by Las Vegas left guard Dylan Parham on the play, but only after Smith delivered the ball downfield.

Tart, though, didn’t seem to care if Smith had the ball or not as he shoved the veteran quarterback to the turf with his right arm, igniting a chorus of boos throughout Allegiant Stadium for what appeared to be a late hit.

But while a flag wasn’t thrown, Tart could still face punishment for the hit, as he did last week for smacking Kelce in the Chargers’ win over the Chiefs.

The Week 1 incident resulted in a $12,172 fine for Tart, who was seen slapping Kelce across the helmet with an open hand – an important distinction, as a closed fist would have resulted in an ejection from the game in Sao Paulo.

Afterwards, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was admittedly frustrated by the no-call.

'I don't understand that rule,’ Reid told reporters. ‘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'.

Reid was then asked if he planned to get clarification from the NFL on the play. 'I'll work out that with the league,' he said. 'I can't get into all that.'

Kelce appeared unharmed and didn't react with any anger to Tart's hit. Instead, he shrugged and turned to the referees, appealing for them to take action.

After the incident, Tart poked fun at his slap on Kelce after being bombarded with messages from angry Swifties. The Philadelphia native’s post included a scene from a famous Chappelle Show sketch in which the host portrays the late Rick James slapping comedian Charlie Murphy.