While Week 11 of the 2025 NFL season had plenty of standout moments, none drew more attention than the incident between Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey, when cameras caught Chase spitting on Ramsey, prompting Ramsey to punch the wideout.
The NFL handed Chase a one-game suspension for his actions. Still, one former Super Bowl champion believes that the suspension is hardly enough punishment for spitting on another human being.
Former Super Bowl Champion Calls Out NFL Over Ja’Marr Chase Suspension
Surprisingly, the incident between Chase and Ramsey on Sunday wasn’t the first time a player spat on an opponent this season. Back in Week 1, Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter was ejected during the Eagles’ game against the Dallas Cowboys for spitting on quarterback Dak Prescott.
Carter was only penalized during the game, having spat on Prescott before the first snap, and the NFL didn’t issue any further suspension. Given that Carter only missed one game, it’s not surprising the league also handed Chase a one-game suspension.
While most weren’t surprised by the length of Chase’s suspension, former Super Bowl champion Chris Canty believes it’s far from enough.
On ESPN’s “First Take,” Canty explained that it’s unrealistic to expect players to respond calmly when spat on, as Prescott did with Carter. Instead, he says it’s far more likely they’ll react like Ramsey did with Chase. If the punishment doesn’t deter players from spitting on each other, Canty warns, a much bigger incident could happen in the future.
“What I’m concerned with is the response, because I don’t think it’s fair and reasonable to anticipate that players would react the way we saw Dak Prescott react in the season opener and being composed,” Canty said.
He continued, “What they’re going to see is guys respond more like we got from Jalen Ramsey. And god forbid if you get the wrong one, it escalating into an incident that becomes ugly and mars the NFL.”
Canty makes a valid point. If the NFL is only going to issue a one-game suspension for spitting on another player, it’s unlikely to prevent future incidents.
As Canty notes, even Ramsey’s reaction was relatively tame compared to how a player could respond to being spat on. He went on to slam the NFL for not doing its job and argued that spitting on another player is a line that should never be crossed.
“That’s my biggest concern with how the NFL is handling it, and I don’t think they sent a strong enough message that spitting on somebody is a bright red line that should not be crossed,” Canty said.
While the Bengals will have to play their Week 12 game against the New England Patriots without Chase, who ranks fourth among NFL wide receivers this season according to PFSN’s WRi metric, Canty is absolutely right that the punishment the NFL handed the star wideout doesn’t come close to fitting the crime.