Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been suspended one game without pay after the NFL ruled he spat at Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey during Sunday’s matchup at Paycor Stadium.
The league announced Monday that Chase violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which covers “any act contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.” He will miss this Sunday’s home game against the New England Patriots unless his appeal is successful.
NFL reporter Ian Rapoport said Chase intends to appeal the suspension, a process expected to be resolved on Tuesday. If the decision stands, Chase would forfeit his weekly paycheck of $448,333 along with a $58,823 per-game active bonus, totaling roughly $500,000, according to WKRC.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 16: Ja’Marr Chase #1 of the Cincinnati Bengals attempts to complete a catch against Jalen Ramsey #5 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during an NFL football game at Acrisure Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
The incident occurred in the second half after Ramsey threw a punch at Chase and grabbed his facemask. Ramsey was ejected. Referee Bill Vinovich said his crew did not see Chase spit and therefore did not assess an in-game penalty. However, a video later appeared to show Chase spitting at Ramsey, prompting the league’s discipline.
Chase denied spitting when asked postgame Sunday and declined to comment Monday.
Read More from SportsJourney
Stay caught up with the latest NFL coverage from SportsJourney:
The 25-year-old wideout leads the NFL with 79 receptions for 861 yards and five touchdowns. Despite dominating Pittsburgh in their Oct. 16 meeting with 16 catches for 161 yards and a score, he was limited to just three receptions for 30 yards in Sunday’s loss.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor strongly defended Chase’s character and leadership, saying he should not be defined by one incident.
“First of all, I’ve always been impressed with how Ja’Marr’s handled himself,” Taylor said, via WKRC. “He’s in a lot of these situations where guys try to get him off his game. Obviously, what happened is crossing the line, and we can’t have that. I know he’ll own up to that.”
Taylor added that Chase remains one of the team’s most respected players.
“Ja’Marr’s one of my favorite players,” Taylor said. “One mistake doesn’t disregard everything he’s done that’s been positive for us. We’re not all perfect. We’re going to make a mistake here and there, but I stand by Ja’Marr.”
Under the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, Chase’s appeal will be heard by one of the jointly appointed officers Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, or Jordy Nelson. Chase would be eligible to return to the Bengals’ active roster on Monday, Nov. 24.
Conor Forrest is the Editor-in-Chief and Senior Commanders Insider for SportsJourney.com. As a graduate of George Mason University, Forrest has spent the last eight years sharing his love for sports with listeners and viewers in the DC area and around the world. He hosts the “After Further Review Podcast” and has held numerous on-air and writing roles covering the DC area sports, Division 1 Basketball, and the NFL. His work has been featured on outlets like NBC Sports Washington, Fansided.com, Heavy.com and The Fourth Estate.
Leave a Reply