Cincinnati Bengals superstar wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase committed one of the most inexcusable acts a human can commit in the Week 11 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Steelers cornerback Jalen Rams ey was ejected from the game after striking Chase in the fourth quarter of the contest. At first, the punch looked like an overreaction, but then it was revealed that Chase spit on Ramsey.
While Chase wasn't caught at the time of Ramsey's ejection, video evidence clearly showed the Bengals wideout committing the disgusting act. Now, Chase is facing a one-game suspension that he will attempt to appeal.
When asked about the spit heard 'round the world on Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin called it "an uncommon act in the game of football."
Tomlin then went on to say that anyone who gets spit on should "do what comes natural" in response, which suggests he didn't have any issue with the way his player responded.
"I have no message. If someone spits in your face, do what comes natural," Tomlin said.
We have to agree with Tomlin.
Just about all bets are off when one person spits on another. Granted, Chase spit on Ramsey's jersey, not in his face, but there isn't a massive difference between the two acts.
Chase has maintained his innocence, even though he was caught red-handed.
In fact, Chase is reportedly preparing a defense in his appeal that is wild, at best.
"My understanding is (Chase) is going to appeal, with his argument essentially being, as far as I understand, if he was going to spit on Jalen Ramsey, he would have spit in the face rather than just on the floor or on the jersey," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Monday.
Good luck with that.
This is just a terrible look all around for Chase.
He is clearly caught in a lie and is now trying to double down on the lie in his appeal. He should just drop it, apologize and move on.
As for Ramsey, there has been no decision about if he will face a suspension or not. There is precedent for him to get a one-game ban for punching Chase, but the fact that Chase spit on him could change things a bit.
We'll know more by the end of the week, at the latest.
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