Will Ja'Marr Chase be suspended? What past NFL spitting incidents say about Jalen Ramsey fight

Dan Treacy

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Will Ja'Marr Chase be suspended? What past NFL spitting incidents say about Jalen Ramsey fight image

Cara Owsley/ The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Steelers CB Jalen Rams ey was the player ejected after a skirmish with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but the Bengals could pay the price in a major way in Week 12.

WR Ja'Marr Chase could potentially face a suspension for spitting on Ramsey, with league precedent indicating the Bengals should brace for Chase's absence against the New England Patriots.

Ramsey was ejected after punching Chase in retaliation, but his claim that the Bengals star provoked the incident by spitting on him appears to be supported by video evidence.

Here's what you need to know about potential discipline for Chase.

MORE: Updated AFC North standings after Steelers, Ravens wins

Will Ja'Marr Chase be suspended?

The NFL is reviewing the incident between Chase and Ramsey and has not yet announced a decision on potential discipline for the Bengals star, but a decision is expected on Monday. 

If history is any indication, Chase should expect a suspension. The NFL chose not to formally suspend Philadelphia Eagles DT Jalen Carter for spitting in September, but the league made clear in its announcement that it considered Carter's ejection before the first snap of the game as equivalent to a one-game suspension.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio explained after the Carter decision how the NFL set a precedent for spitting suspensions going forward. "There’s the possibility that a spit will be missed by the officials during a given game. If that happens, a suspension without pay for the next game becomes the logical conclusion," Florio said. 

That scenario is precisely what happened on Sunday, as officials only saw Ramsey's punch and did not eject Chase. Even if Chase was caught, the incident likely occurred too late in the game for a hypothetical ejection to have counted as his only punishment. 

If Chase is suspended, the Bengals will be without their top offensive weapon against the AFC East-leading Patriots.

MORE: Updated AFC, NFC playoff pictures in Week 11

Did Ja'Marr Chase spit on Jalen Ramsey?

Officials didn't catch it in real time, but video appears to show Chase clearly spitting on Ramsey late in Sunday's game between the Bengals and Steelers. 

Referee Bill Vinovich said after the game that his crew "obviously" didn't witness Chase spitting. "We did not see anything that rose to that level at all," Vinovich said. Ramsey, however, made the accusation in postgame comments, and replay supports his claim.

"I never opened my mouth to that guy," Chase told reporters after the game. "I didn't spit on nobody."

MORE WEEK 11 NEWS:

Ja'Marr Chase spit video

While broadcast cameras didn't immediately capture clear video of Chase spitting, one angle did: 

Why was Jalen Ramsey ejected?

Ramsey was ejected late in Sunday's game for throwing a punch at Chase, though video shows Ramsey may have been forcefully grabbing the Bengals star's facemask.

MORE: What to know about Jalen Ramsey's ejection vs. Bengals

NFL history of spitting punishments

Before Carter's de facto suspension, the NFL largely stuck to fining players for spitting. Terrell Owens was fined $35,000 for spitting on DeAngelo Hall in 2006, while Marcus Peters faced a fine in 2020 for spitting in the direction of Jarvis Landry.

By calling Carter's ejection a one-game suspension, the NFL set a new precedent for spitting on an opposing player in a year in which the league aimed to crack down on unsportsmanlike behavior. Chase could be the first to have the punishment from that precedent leveled at him.

Senior Content Producer

Editorial Team