Fact check: Was Travis Kelce fined $10,000,000 for shoving Andy Reid? Debunking viral rumors

Travis Kelce can be a very fiery competitor, as he showed during a first-quarter sideline shove of head coach Andy Reid at Super Bowl LVIII.

At the time, Isiah Pacheco had lost a fumble deep in San Francisco 49ers territory, causing the Kansas City Chiefs' star tight end to frustratedly yell at Reid about not being used in that play.

On Tuesday, a satirical website called esspots.com boldly "reported" on its aftermath:

"Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs’ standout tight end, faces a formidable setback ahead of the next NFL season. Not only has Kelce been fined a staggering $10 million, but he’s also been handed a three-game suspension."

The report, however, is fake - he has not been fined $10,000,000 for yelling at Andy Reid; no such punishment has been levied in league history.

Kelce, who had had just one catch for as many yards in the first 30 minutes, rebounded with seven more catches for 85 yards in the next 30 minutes. He then added another for his ninth catch of the game in overtime as the Chiefs won 25-22 via a touchdown by Mecole Hardman with three seconds left.

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Travis Kelce sanction rumors debunked: What are the harshest in-game sanctions in NFL history?

So if Travis Kelce came away unpunished for shoving his coach, which on-field acts did carry severe consequences?

Usually, the most severe punishments are carried out for off-field misbehavior, like domestic violence (Ray Rice). However, in-game acts have also been punished by the league.

Back in 1986, Green Bay Packers defensive end Charles Martin attacked Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon after an interception, slamming the latter on his injured shoulder. He was ejected from that game and banned from the next two - the first player to be suspended for an on-field incident.

It also set a precedent in the league that would be reinforced in 2006, when Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth was banned for five games for stomping on Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode. It was the longest suspension for an on-field act at the time, and he also lost around $200,000 in salary.

That was broken by Oakland Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict in 2019 after he made a helmet-to-helmet hit on tight end Jack Doyle during a game against the Indianapolis Colts. Burfict had made a name for dirty plays, most notably a helmet-to-helmet hit on Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown during his days in Cincinnati. Commissioner Roger Goodell eventually banned the former Bengal for a record 12 games - effectively the rest of the season.