Ja’Marr Chase will miss Sunday’s matchup against the Patriots after his one-game suspension was upheld Tuesday. The star Bengals wideout won’t be available following an incident where he spit at Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey during Cincinnati’s 34-12 loss.
The NFL and NFLPA-appointed appeal officer Jordy Nelson reviewed the case and decided to maintain the league’s original ruling from Monday. Chase had firmly denied the allegations, but video evidence told a different story.
This suspension comes with a hefty price tag. Chase will forfeit his weekly paycheck of $448,333, plus he’ll lose his per-game active bonus of $58,823 – making this a costly mistake beyond just missing game time.
The incident wasn’t initially flagged by officials during the game.
Video captured by Cincinnati’s WXIX-TV clearly shows Chase spitting toward Ramsey, which prompted the Steelers defensive back to throw a punch in retaliation. Ironically, officials only saw Ramsey’s response – ejecting him while allowing Chase to finish the game.
“We did not see anything that rose to that level at all,” referee Bill Vinovich explained in the post-game pool report, referring to Chase’s actions.
The two players had already been in each other’s faces earlier in the contest, drawing offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties before the spitting incident escalated matters.
When announcing the suspension, the NFL cited rules against “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship” – a broad category that clearly includes spitting on opponents.
Chase’s absence creates a significant void in Cincinnati’s struggling offense heading into Week 13. The Bengals (4-7) have lost four straight games and face an improving Patriots defense that’s shown signs of life in recent weeks.