Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been suspended one game without pay for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey.
Chase will miss his team’s upcoming game against the New England Patriots following the incident that occurred in Cincinnati’s 34-12 loss to the Steelers on Sunday. Video from Cincinnati’s WXIX-TV showed Chase clearly spitting in Ramsey’s direction, which prompted Ramsey to throw a punch at Chase.
Chase’s one-game suspension will cost him his weekly paycheck of $448,333 along with a $58,823 per game active bonus he now will be forfeiting.
This is the second time this season that a player has been suspended for spitting on an opponent. In Week 1, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter spit on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the first play from scrimmage, prompting Carter’s ejection. The NFL viewed that as a single-game suspension.
However, Chase finished the game against the Steelers. At the time, officials did not spot Chase’s actions before ejecting Ramsey for the thrown punch.
“We did not see anything that rose to that level at all,” referee Bill Vinovich said in a pool report after the game.
Chase also denied spitting on Ramsey. The two had been in a scuffle earlier in the contest, which prompted offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on both players.
“I ain’t ever opened my mouth to that guy,” said Chase, who said that words exchanged between the two is what prompted Ramsey’s reaction.
But the video proved that to be false. Ramsey had to be restrained multiple times. He was still churning in Chase’s direction after his ejection was announced and took several minutes to leave the field.
“I don’t give a f— about football after that, respectfully,” Ramsey told reporters after the game. “I’m always going to be all for trash talking, s— talking, stuff like that. I actually enjoy that part of the game. I think people know that.”
Ramsey said the spitting could not be tolerated.
“As soon as he spit, it was like ‘f— that.'”
The veteran defensive back also said that Chase took his mouthpiece earlier, which prompted the first scuffle. A similar incident happened in 2022, when Chase took Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick’s mouthpiece. Chase was fined afterward for unsportsmanlike conduct.
This season, Chase was voted a team captain and had been lauded by teammates and coaches for showing maturity and restraint during a difficult season.
This marks the first time that Chase has been suspended in his career. The Bengals have lost seven of their last eight games. The Patriots (9-2) have won eight straight and have the best record in the AFC.
