Travis Kelce smacked in the helmet by Chargers rival Teair Tart, who escapes punishment

Travis Kelce was escaped unhurt after being smacked by Los Angeles Chargers giant Teair Tart as tensions threatened to spill over during Friday's NFL game in Brazil.

Kelce and Tart came to blows after the Chiefs tight end was blocking on a drive for his team that would end with a Patrick Mahomes touchdown.

But Tart seemed to take exception with how hard Kelce was pushing him. When he let go, Tart stared back at Kelce before slapping him across the helmet with an open palm.

It was that which saved Tart, a 6ft 2inch, 315lbs defensive tackle, from being ejected from the game. Had it been a clenched fist, the rules would have forced the referees to remove him.

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.

Terry McAulay, a former NFL official, explained on the YouTube broadcast that the open hand saved Tart, saying: 'They (officials) looked at it. They said because it was an open hand contact to the head, that was not disqualifying action.'

It was shaping up to be another difficult night for Kelce in Sao Paulo, who was playing for his team without fiancee Taylor Swift watching in the stands.

By the end of the third quarter, Kelce had only recorded one catch for 10 yards for his team.

But he had the perfect response at the start of the fourth quarter, taking his second catch of the night to the house to set up a gripping ending.

Ironically, the Chiefs went for two after Kelce's touchdown and a Mahomes throw to Noah Gray was deflected out the way by the open palm of Tart, protecting the two-point lead held by his team.

It looked like being a crucial intervention from Tart. On the next drive, Justin Herbert found Quentin Johnson for his second TD of the night, making it a two score game with a little bit more than five minutes on the clock.

And it proved to be a pivotal moment, with the Chargers holding on from there to beat the Chiefs 27-21 in the opening game.

It doesn't get much easier for the Chiefs from here - next week they've got a Super Bowl remach against Philadelphia Eagles at Arrowhead Stadium.