Ja’Marr Chase won’t be in action when the Cincinnati Bengals take on the New England Patriots in a key Week 12 matchup.
Chase has received a one-game suspension for spitting at Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey in the Bengals’ 34-12 loss on Sunday, the NFL announced Monday. If the suspension is upheld, the penalty will cost Chase a $448,333 game check and a $58,824 active roster bonus, per NFL Media.
“During the fourth quarter, Chase spit on Pittsburgh cornerback Jalen Ramsey, violating Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which applies to ‘any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship,’” the NFL said in a statement.
Ramsey alleged that Chase spat on him when he was ejected for hitting the Bengals’ wide receiver in Sunday’s game.
“He spit on me, so it’s up,” Ramsey told reporters. “I don’t give a f— about football after that, respectfully.”
However, Chase denied that he spat at Ramsey.
“I ain’t never opened my mouth to that guy,” Chase told reporters.
“He [didn’t] like some of the swears I told him,” Chase added. “We’d been going back and forth the whole time so, I’m sure something got under his skin.”
While Chase denied the claim, there was a video that emerged on social media where it appeared the Bengals star spat at Ramsey.
Chase can appeal the suspension, but the punishment is similar to the one Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter received earlier this season. Carter received a retroactive one-game suspension for spitting at Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the season opener after getting ejected for his action.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he spoke with Chase about the incident on Monday.
“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,” Taylor told reporters. “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.”
Despite Joe Burrow’s absence, Chase has still been one of the league’s top receivers this season. He leads the league in receptions (79) and is second in receiving yards (869), recording five receiving touchdowns this year.
Still, that hasn’t been enough for the Bengals to find success. Sunday marked Cincinnati’s third straight loss, dropping it to 3-7 on the year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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