Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Teair Tart is under fire after a controversial moment in the NFL season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Tart slapped tight end Travis Kelce in the face during the third quarter, igniting a firestorm among Taylor Swift’s fanbase, known as the Swifties. The incident has sparked not only debate over the on-field altercation but also a social media war, with Tart’s actions and now a new Instagram post which is being perceived as a swipe at Swift.
Chiefs vs. Chargers: Teair Tart slaps Travis Kelce in the face.
The game, held at Neo Química Arena in São Paulo, Brazil, on September 5, saw the Los Angeles Chargers edge out the Kansas City Chiefs with a 27–21 victory. The pivotal moment occurred in the third quarter when Kelce shoved Tart following a play. Tart retaliated with an open-handed slap to Kelce’s helmet, resulting in a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty. Despite the penalty, Tart was not ejected from the game, as officials determined the slap did not meet the criteria for disqualification.
Travis Kelce gets b*tch slapped during Chiefs game.
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) September 6, 2025
Tart’s Instagram post referencing Taylor Swift stirs controversy
After the game, Tart, 28, jumped on Instagram to stir the pot and mock the whole incident, this time dragging Taylor Swift into it. He uploaded a carousel of photos and a game video, but it was the final slide that grabbed attention: a Dave Chappelle sketch seemingly making light of the slap. Adding fuel to the fire, Tart captioned it, “I’m too swift with it even in Brazil,” a not-so-subtle jab at Swift herself. The post blew up within hours, sparking a flood of angry comments from Swifties who demanded he apologise to Kelce and his superstar fiancée.
Swifties’ backlash on social media after Tart’s Instagram post
Fans of The Tortured Poets Department hitmaker were already enraged by the slap incident, and Tart’s social media activity bringing Swift into the entire fiasco has only added to the backlash.
‘Keep her name out of your mouth’: Swifties warn Tart | Photo Credit: Taylor Nation
Sharing a screenshot of Tart’s post, one Swiftie on X posted, “That person is about to find out what karma is.” Swifties responded to the post in the comments section, with one writing, “EXACTLY what I thought…HE WILL BE ON EVERY Tay fan page with a target on his face…NOT A SMART move to slap/hit anyONE…but he picked the WRONG person…SWIFTIE NATION is POWERFUL!”
EXACTLY what I thought…HE WILL BE ON EVERY Tay fan page with a target on his face…NOT A SMART move to slap/hit anyONE…but he picked the WRONG person…SWIFTIE NATION is POWERFUL!
— katydid80 (@mcgoldrickjana) September 6, 2025
“Clout chasing pos. He needs to keep her name out of his mouth,” another user said.
Clout chasing pos. He needs to keep her name out of his mouth
— StopTryingToMakeFetchHappen (@VaxxedCynic) September 6, 2025
“He wants it; he is provoking it, so afterwards I don’t want to see him complaining about it. He knows what he is doing bringing Tay into it,” a third Swift fan wrote.
He wants it, he is provoking it 🤷🏻♀️ so after don’t want to see him complaining about it. He knows what he is doing bringing Tay into it
— Dove (@Dovedarling_) September 6, 2025
One fan mentioned, “The way i was originally like… don’t send him hate; it was a shitty football moment whatever it sucks, but it happens, and then he turns around and feeds into it and mentions Taylor. he’s literally asking for the smoke now.”
the way i was originally like.. don’t send him hate it was a shitty football moment whatever it sucks but it happens n then he turns around and feeds into it and mentions Taylor. he’s literally asking for the smoke now pic.twitter.com/tK3Yb1Lf2c
— taylor toot ✨ (@lilcreature27) September 6, 2025
Taylor Swift’s absence from the game
How Brazil welcomed Taylor Swift | Photo Credit: X/@MaxRumbleX
Despite the drama surrounding the game, Taylor Swift was not in attendance, although reports suggest that she was in Brazil to support her fiancé. As to why she chose to skip the season, several publications reported that it was due to security concerns. However, sources indicate that she plans to attend more games this season, including those at Arrowhead Stadium, to support Kelce in person.
Taylor-Travis engagement
Taylor and Travis announced their engagement last month | Photo Credit: Instagram/@taylorswift
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce finally made it official with a joint Instagram post on August 26, 2025, and fans went wild. The couple shared the happy news with a wink to their inside jokes, as Swift captioned the post, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” adding a dynamite emoji for good measure. The playful line was a nod to their self-given nickname “TNT,” a reference that longtime followers of their love story immediately picked up on.
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