Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been suspended one game without pay for spitting at Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Chase spat at Ramsey during a fourth-quarter faceoff in the Steelers’ 34-12 win on Sunday. Ramsey grabbed Chase’s face mask and punched him, resulting in his ejection.
In announcing the suspension, the NFL said Chase had been disciplined under rules governing “any conduct contrary to commonly understood principles of sportsmanship.”
Chase denied spitting at Ramsey in his postgame speech, but a Cincinnati television station had video of the incident.
Chase will miss the Bengals’ home game against New England this weekend, but he has the right to appeal the suspension.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he spoke with Chase about the incident before the league announced the suspension.
“It’s like we’re trying to make something out of this situation. This is the only thing that upsets me as I sit here,” Taylor said.
“For someone who did everything we could to build our organization, he was really good. It’s not perfect. I’m not perfect, trust me.
“I made a lot of mistakes yesterday that people don’t capture on camera, and unfortunately his mistakes were mistakes.
“He’s going to have to acknowledge that. It’s going to be part of his journey.”
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Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected from the NFL season opener after spitting at Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
This is the second time this season that the league has disciplined a player for spitting. Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was initially suspended one game for spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott ahead of the season opener.
According to the NFL Players Association database, Chase will have at least $448,333,33 in base salary frozen due to the suspension.
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