Ja’Marr Chase to Miss Game for Spitting at Jalen Ramsey
The suspension of a game imposed on Ja’Marr Chase, star receiver for the Bengals, for spitting at Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey, was ratified this Tuesday. This means that Chase will not be able to participate in Sunday’s game against the Patriots. Chase’s appeal was reviewed by Jordy Nelson, who was jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association. Nelson upheld the suspension, which was announced by the league on Monday. The sanction will cost Chase his weekly salary of $448,333, in addition to losing an active game bonus of $58,823. The incident took place during the Bengals’ 34-12 defeat to the Steelers last Sunday. WXIX-TV videos from Cincinnati clearly showed Chase spitting in Ramsey’s direction, which caused Ramsey to throw a punch at Chase. At that moment, the officials did not observe Chase’s action before ejecting Ramsey for the punch. Chase continued playing the game.Chase denied spitting on Ramsey. Both players had had a previous altercation in the game, which resulted in penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct. When announcing the suspension, the league cited the section of the regulations that applies to “any act that is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship”.We didn’t see anything that reached that level at all.
Bill Vinovich, main referee
