Chicago Bears' head coach Ben Johnson had nothing but praise while discussing his Week 12 counterpart, Pittsburgh Steelers' coach Mike Tomlin. This included his reaction to Tomlin's comments on Pittsburgh cornerback Jalen Rams ey punching Cincinnati Bengals' receiver Ja'Marr Chase after Chase spat on him.
While discussing the incident, Tomlin supported Ramsey's actions, saying, "I have no message. If someone spits in your face, do what comes natural."
While meeting with the media on Wednesday, Johnson had nothing but praise for Tomlin, specifically mentioning that reaction.
"He sets the bar very high," Johnson said in a video shared on X by Ari Meirov, 33rd Team. "Nothing but respect for him, how he goes about his business. He holds his players accountable. I think you saw it even this week, with some of the quotes talking about a player getting spit at. His reaction to it, I mean, he’s 100% right as far as I’m concerned. He hit the nail on the head. He just keeps it real and authentic at all times."
While Ramsey was ejected from the game for punching Chase, it's notable that the officials likely didn't see what led to the punch. Not only was the nearest official several yards away, but Chase also had his back turned to him. Replays later showed what Chase did, something Ramsey confirmed following the game. Ramsey, though, was not suspended for Week 12, while Chase was.
So, the NFL seemed to agree with Tomlin and Johnson's take on the matter.