Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja”Marr Chase has been handed a one-game suspension without pay by the NFL for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey during a heated moment in their recent game.
The incident occurred in the fourth quarter of the Bengals” 34-12 defeat on Sunday. Following a confrontation, Ramsey reacted by grabbing Chase”s face mask and throwing a punch, which led to his ejection from the game. The league announced Chase”s suspension, citing a violation of the sportsmanship principle.
Despite the evidence, including video footage from a Cincinnati television station, Chase denied the act after the game. He chose not to address reporters in the Bengals” locker room on Monday. When asked if officials had seen the incident, referee Bill Vinovich stated, “we did not see anything that rose to that level at all.”
Chase”s absence will be felt as the Bengals prepare for their upcoming home game against New England. The wide receiver has the option to appeal the suspension. Currently, the Bengals sit at 3-7, having lost their last three games.
Before the announcement of the suspension, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor expressed his thoughts on the situation. He mentioned that he had spoken with Chase about the incident, stating, “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. 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 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 marks the second instance this season where a player has faced disciplinary action for spitting. Earlier, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter received an initial one-game suspension for a similar offense involving Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during the season opener. Carter ultimately forfeited his game check but did not miss any additional games due to the timing of his ejection.
Chase”s suspension will cost him at least $448,333.33 in base salary, according to the NFL Players Association database.
