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Those who follow the Kansas City Chiefs are not happy about the slap against Travis Kelce in the team’s opening game.

The Kansas City Chiefs had a very rough beginning to their 2025-26 season in the form of a surprise loss on Friday, September 5, in Brazil. While the Chiefs were largely expected to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in their first game of the season, that didn’t happen, and instead, the team lost in a tight, 21-27 game. It was somewhat of a surprise to Chiefs Kingdom, since the Chargers seemed very much like a beatable team.

But, that’s in the past now, and looking ahead, Kansas City will continue their season on Sunday, September 14, with a high-profile matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are coming off a close win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, September 4, which marked the first game of the NFL season.

While Chiefs fans were wound up over the loss to the Chargers, they were especially angered by one play on the field. That moment took place when Tart took what appeared to be a swing at Travis Kelce in the second half of the game. It turns out that it was a slap more than a punch, but it was still in very poor taste and had to be against league policy, right? Well, apparently, because it was a slap, Tart wasn’t ejected from the game, and Chiefs Kingdom isn’t happy.

Kansas City Chiefs Kingdom Reacts to Travis Kelce Incident

People have been reacting to that moment ever since it happened. In a piece published on Friday, Matt Conner of Arrowhead Addict discusses the incident and is obviously not happy, either. He calls it “egregious.”

“Here’s what makes the whole thing so egregious,” he notes. “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.”

He adds, “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.”

Fans took to X to respond to a tweet explaining, this, too. “But spitting on someone is. Interesting,” one said. “So Jalen Carter should have just slapped Dak in the facemask and he could have stayed in the game,” another stated. “I feel like an open hand would hit with way more force than a closed fist would if you’re punching someone wearing a helmet. Who the heck wants to punch a helmet with a closed fist?” another commented.

The Chiefs probably still would have lost this game no matter what, but it was certainly a sour moment for all involved. Let’s hope it’s the last of these kinds of acts on the field and in-game, but we all know better than that.

Travis Kelce’s Next Big Event

Kelce and his soon-to-be-wife Taylor Swift could be having a quiet weekend after the Brazil game. The two will be skipping the MTV VMAs on Sunday, September 7, according to multiple reports about the event.

The main reason the two are not going to be at the event is because, as Elle points out, Swift has only been nominated for one award this year, because it’s her off year. Next year will be a bigger year for her, since her new album will be fresh and likely up for multiple awards and honors.

Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson

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