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.
“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.
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.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
