The NFL on Monday suspended Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase one game for unsportsmanlike conduct for spitting at Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey during Sunday's game, the league announced.
Chase is set to miss Cincinnati's Week 12 game against the New England Patriots, who at 9-2 are currently in first place in the AFC East.
"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 league said in a statement announcing Chase's suspension.
Chase is appealing his suspension, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Ramsey and Chase got into a verbal altercation at the beginning of the fourth quarter of Pittsburgh's eventual 34-12 win on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. The altercation quickly became physical with Ramsey taking a swipe at Chase's helmet and grabbing his facemask before players from both teams separated the two. The Steelers DB was subsequently ejected.
Ramsey told reporters after the game that Chase spit on him, which caused the incident. Chase initially denied the accusation, however, footage of the incident appeared to show that he did, in fact, spit at Ramsey. Chase declined to talk to the media on Monday, per multiple local repoters.
"He spit on me," Ramsey said on Sunday, via ESPN. "I don't give a f--- about football after that, respectfully. I'm always going to be all for trash talking, s--- talking, things like that. I actually enjoy that part of the game. I think that people know that."
On Monday, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he spoke with Chase about the incident.
"I've always been impressed with how Ja'Marr has handled himself because he is in a lot of these situations where he's got a target as a top player," Taylor said. "He gets a lot of respect that way, so guys try to do a lot of things to get his attention and get him off his game. I've always thought it was unbelievable how he's handled in some really high-pressure, emotional decisions.
"Obviously, what happened is crossing the line. We can't have that, and I know he'll own up to that."
Chase's one-game suspension mirrors precedent established by the league earlier this season for spitting incidents when Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter spit on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the first offensive snap of the 2025 Kickoff Game on Sept. 4.
Carter was ejected from the game before playing one snap. The NFL later announced that Carter had been suspended one game for the incident, however, the league considered that his suspension had already been served due to how early in the contest his ejection occurred.