Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase suspended without pay for spitting Pittsburgh Steelers guard Jalen Ramsey.
Chase spat on Ramsey during the fourth quarter standoff Sunday game. Ramsey grabbed Chase by the mask and punched him in retaliation, causing Ramsey to be ejected. Officials, who said after the game that they did not see Ramsey spit, took no action against the receiver at the time.
NFL said Chase was punished under a rule that applies to “any act that is contrary to generally accepted principles of sportsmanship.”
After Sunday's game, which the Bengals lost 34-12, Chase denied spitting on Ramsey. But a Cincinnati television station published a video of the incident. Chase did not speak to reporters in the Bengals' locker room Monday.
Chase will miss the Bengals' home game against New England this weekend. He has the right to appeal the suspension. Cincinnati is 3-7 and has lost three straight games. As a result of the suspension, Chase will forfeit at least $448,333.33 in base salary, according to the NFL Players Association database.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said before the league announced the suspension that he had spoken with Chase about the incident.
“It's like we're trying to make something out of this situation. That's the only thing that upsets me as I sit here,” Taylor said. “For a guy who did everything he could to build our organization, he was great. Not perfect. I'm not perfect. Believe me, I made a lot of mistakes yesterday. [that] people don't see on camera. Unfortunately, this was the case. He'll have to admit it. This will be part of his journey.”
This is the second time this season that the league has penalized a player for spitting. Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Jalen Carter was initially suspended for one game for don't care about Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott at the opening of the season. Carter ultimately forfeited his first week's game check, worth $57,222, and did not miss any more games because the ejection occurred early in the game and the league enforced it after the deadline.
