Teair Tart, born on February 28, 1997, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has had a long journey to get to where it is today with the Los Angeles Chargers. He started off as a zero-star recruit from West Philadelphia High School, having to go the junior college route to begin his football journey after high school.Starting at ASA College in New York City, Tart unfortunately needed to leave the team after six games due to a family tragedy. He then enrolled at Valley Forge Military Academy, but transferred to East Mississippi Community College during his first semester there. Before the season started, he was unfortunately cut from the school, with Tart then scrambling to find his next stop on his football path.Tart then enrolled at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa and played in two games before a knee injury ended his season. With two years left of NCAA eligibility, he had his very last transfer, this time to Florida International University. He chose this after being a four-star JuCo recruit with multiple SEC offers.At FIU, Tart was an elite interior defender, showing prowess in run defense. With prior injury history and his draft during the COVID-19 pandemic, the smaller school prospect of Tart found himself undrafted and on the Titans' 90-man roster in 2020. Tart's talent was apparent, making the roster and making an immediate impact. His attitude and tenacious personality at times bordered on the NFL rules, with a one-game suspension being handed to Tart during his rookie season. Even with this, Tart spent another two and a half seasons in Tennessee, eventually being let go in the middle of the 2023 season, due to "effort and attitude issues." He was shortly picked up by the Houston Texans, where he finished the season. During the ensuing off-season, he was picked up and cut by the Miami Dolphins, eventually finding redemption and a home in Los Angeles with the Chargers.Chargers Teair Tart, IDL Teair Tart | Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesIn 2024 with the Chargers, he started off as a rotational defender behind Poona Ford, another IDL that the Chargers helped revive their careers from. This rotational play was good for Tart, helping to learn the system and bring that energy to a defensive line that needed it. This impressive play on limited snaps yielded a return in 2025, where he started as the team's best interior defender all season long. He had the incredible Week 1 moment of slapping Travis Kelce, creating major waves throughout the entire internet. This "villain" arc was embraced by the Chargers, as they gave him a major contract after his impressive 2025 season.Tart's story is a long, winding road of what many individuals find themselves unable to surpass in their lifetimes. Multiple Junior College teams, going undrafted, being cut multiple times, to being sent terrible messages by Taylor Swift and Chiefs fans alike, Tart has beaten all of the odds. He is an incredible story, a story that should be given more praise than it has been.2025 Season Stats 17 Games4 Pass Deflections 1 Forced Fumble0 Sacks (but still was a strong contributor as a pass rusher)32 Tackles4 Tackles for LossMeasurables There is no available Mockdraftable or RAS page for Teair Tart. His ProFootballReference page has him listed at 6'2 315.Contract Status "Teair Tart signed a 3 year, $30,000,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including $6,000,000 signing bonus, $20,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $10,000,000. In 2026, Tart will earn a base salary of $3,000,000 and a signing bonus of $6,000,000, while carrying a cap hit of $6,020,000 and a dead cap value of $15,000,000." - SpotracTeair Tart's 2026 Season OutlookGoing into 2026, Tart is now being paid as he deserves. He is being respected and loved by a team that actually wants him. He is expected to continue his development as a vocal leader in the locker room, helping coach along younger defensive tackles like Jamaree Caldwell, Justin Eboigbe and Nick Barrett.Even going into his age-29 season, it is expected for Tart to be the same, if not a stronger force, going into 2026 under the new defensive coordinator, Chris O'Leary. Sign Up For the Chargers Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Los Angeles Chargers NewsletterAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow