The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals met in a heated Week 11 AFC North showdown, but the final score was not the main headline. The real spotlight fell on the altercation between Ja’Marr Chase and Jalen Ramsey.
The two stars had been jawing at each other throughout the game, and tensions finally erupted when Ramsey was ejected for throwing a punch at Chase. After the game, however, new details emerged indicating that the Bengals star had spat on the Steelers’ safety, which led the NFL to launch a deeper investigation into the incident.
Ja’Marr Chase Is Suspended by the NFL
Chase received a one-game suspension from the NFL, as fans mounted calls for, on Monday, after video revealed that he did, in fact, spit on Ramsey, as Ramsey had claimed.
“Ja’Marr Chase’s one-game suspension will cost him his weekly paycheck of $448,333 along with a $58,823 per game active bonus he now will be forfeiting,” wrote NFL insider Adam Schefter on X.
Reporters questioned Chase about the incident after the game, and he insisted he had not spat on Ramsey. However, a video clip later surfaced showing that was not true. Ramsey had already been disciplined with an ejection for throwing a punch, and with the new evidence coming to light, the NFL moved to penalize Chase for his role in the confrontation.
Chase lost his appeal to the NFL’s decision and will not play against the New England Patriots in Week 12. However, he will be back next week against the Baltimore Ravens.
According to PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor, Cincinnati currently has just 2.1% chances of making the playoffs. With Joe Burrow attempting to make a quick recovery for a miraculous late-season playoff push, losing Chase is not ideal for the Bengals’ slim playoff chances.
Chase ranks as the No. 4 wide receiver in PFSN’s 2025 NFL WR impact rankings with an 86.7 (B) grade. This season, he has 861 yards and five touchdowns, while averaging 10.8 yards per catch.
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The NFL has made sportsmanship a major point of emphasis in 2025, handing out tougher fines and penalties for taunting and similar conduct. Chase’s actions are the latest example to fall under the league’s stricter enforcement.
This is the second case this season involving spitting. It’s very similar to the Week 1 incident when Jalen Carter was ejected from the opening night game for spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Carter received a one-game suspension, but because he was thrown out right after the opening kickoff, the league ruled that his punishment had effectively already been served. With that precedent in place, it is reasonable to expect the NFL to issue the same one-game penalty for Chase.
