Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase will sit out a game and lose his paycheck after the NFL handed down a suspension on Monday. The punishment came after Chase was caught spitting in the face of Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey during their game on Sunday.
The two players had already exchanged words earlier in the fourth quarter when cameras captured them getting into each other’s faces again. Things took a turn when Chase allegedly spat at Ramsey, sparking a physical scuffle on the field.
Chase will miss the next game and won’t receive his usual $448,333 paycheck for that week. On top of that, he will forfeit a game-active bonus of $58,823. Despite the evidence, Chase denies that he spat on Ramsey.
Ramsey described the back-and-forth as typical opponent trash talk, but made it clear that spitting crossed the line and caused the incident to escalate physically.
This isn’t the first spitting incident this NFL season. Earlier, Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter was suspended for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Carter did not contest his suspension.
Ja’Marr Chase plans to appeal his suspension. The person likely to review his case is former Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who recently handled an appeal for Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu. Nelson reduced Luvu’s suspension to a fine after reviewing his case.
As the situation unfolds, Bengals fans will be watching closely to see if Chase’s suspension is upheld or reduced. Meanwhile, the NFL continues to enforce stricter conduct rules and holds players accountable for on-field behavior.
