Jalen Ramsey ejection, explained: Why Steelers safety was kicked out of Week 11 game vs. Bengals

Teddy Ricketson

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Jalen Ramsey ejection, explained: Why Steelers safety was kicked out of Week 11 game vs. Bengals image

The Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11, an AFC North matchup that always feels like it could go either way.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Steelers' defense had the Bengals offense facing a fourth-and-1. Cincinnati lined up for it, but didn't actually hike the ball. The Bengals ended up with the first down anyway, though, because the Pittsburgh defense got into a skirmish with the Bengals, and it resulted in a shoving match. When the dust settled, Steelers safety Jalen Rams ey was tossed from the game. Both teams were given offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, but Ramsey's ejection gave Cincinnati a free first down in a crucial spot. 

Here is more on why Ramsey was ejected against the Bengals in Week 11.

MORE: Updated AFC, NFC playoff pictures in Week 11

Jalen Ramsey ejection explained

The Bengals and the Steelers always seem to get a little chippy in their rivalry. After the Bengals chose not to go for it on fourth-and-one and to take a timeout, the Steelers were trying to get the crowd into the game. As Cincinnati QB Joe Flacco was walking toward the sideline, Ramsey and Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase were seen exchanging words. It looked like Ramsey may have been trying to grab Chase's facemask, but the referee that was in the vicinity of both players decided that it was actually a punch worthy of a disqualification. 

Ramsey tried to plead his case, but the call was not changed. Each team was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and then Ramsey was ejected for the punch. The Steelers were up 20-9, with 13:28 left in the game. Cincinnati ended that drive with a field goal to cut the lead to eight. Without the Ramsey ejection, Pittsburgh could have forced a punt or possibly stopped a short-yardage attempt for a turnover on downs. Instead, their lead shortened, and the Steelers lost a staple of the defense at an already thin position. 

After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin was asked if he got any explanation about Ramsey's ejection or what led to him "popping off" against Chase. Tomlin responded, "I didn't need any, it doesn't matter. We gotta be smarter. We gotta stay in football games as individuals."

After every NFL game, referees can be asked questions about specific situations or calls made during the game. The transcript of the designated media member speaking with the game's chief official is referred to as the "pool report. "When asked about the Chase-Ramsey interaction and subsequent ejection, head official Bill Vinovich said, "There was a scuffle between the two. We had been dealing with it all day, and then it kind of escalated. They were both grabbing each other's facemasks." 

Vinovich confirmed, "Number five for Pittsburgh punched number one from Cincinnati." When asked about the spitting in question and if anyone on the referee crew saw it, Vinovich responded, "No. Obviously, we did not. We did not see anything that rose to that level at all."

Did Ja'Marr Chase spit on Jalen Ramsey?

After the game, Ramsey said that Chase spit on him, per Steelers reporter Chris Adamski. Steelers defenders Joey Porter Jr. And Cam Heyward both said that Chase spat on Ramsey. The Bengals' wide receiver denied spitting. He said that Ramsey must not have liked some of the words the two were exchanging. 

A video was released by Austin Briski on X giving a field view of the encounter, and it shows that Chase did indeed spit at Ramsey. The wide receiver spits around the six-second mark of the below clip.

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