Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja”Marr Chase has been suspended for one game without pay due to an incident involving Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The suspension follows an altercation that occurred in the fourth quarter of their recent game, where Chase allegedly spat on Ramsey.
The confrontation escalated when Ramsey grabbed Chase by the face mask and subsequently threw a punch, leading to his ejection from the game. The NFL announced the suspension, citing a violation of a rule that pertains to actions contrary to the principles of sportsmanship.
Following the Bengals” 34-12 defeat, Chase denied the spitting allegation, although a local television station in Cincinnati captured video evidence of the incident. On Monday, Chase did not address reporters in the locker room. Referee Bill Vinovich, when questioned about the officials” awareness of the spitting incident, stated that “we did not see anything that rose to that level at all.”
Chase will be sidelined for the Bengals” upcoming home game against the New England Patriots. He retains the right to appeal the suspension. Currently, the Bengals hold a record of 3-7, having lost their last three games.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor commented on the situation before the league”s announcement, expressing his frustration over the incident. “It”s like we are trying to make something out of this situation. It”s the only thing that”s kind of upset me as I”m sitting in here,” he said. “For a guy that has done everything we can to build our organization around, he”s been awesome. Not perfect. I”m not perfect. Trust me, I made plenty of mistakes yesterday (that) people don”t see on camera. Unfortunately his was. He”s going to have to own up for that. That will be part of his journey.”
This incident marks the second time this season that the league has imposed discipline for spitting. Earlier, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was initially suspended for one game for a similar offense against Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during the season opener. Carter ultimately forfeited his game check but did not miss additional games due to the timing of his ejection.
According to the NFL Players Association database, Chase will lose at least $448,333.33 in base salary as a result of this suspension.
