Sunday, Nov. 16 will live in infamy among Pittsburgh Steelers fans much like the classic Seinfeld episode about a certain magic loogie that hit characters Kramer and Newman at a New York Mets game. In this rare case, Jalen Ramsey can relate, as he received an unwanted gift from Chase while the two were sparring in the second half of the Steelers eventual AFC North win over the Bengals.
There was no second spitter, but the officials clearly got this one wrong, ejecting Ramsey for his reaction to Chase's excrement, rather than the Bengals wide receiver for spitting in the first place.
Field-level view of the second altercation between Ja'Marr Chase and Jalen Ramsey. Chase said "I didn't spit on nobody."
— Austin Briski (@austin_briski) November 16, 2025
The video clearly shows he did.#Bengals @FOX19 pic.twitter.com/ooGzInoPdS
Chase, unsurprisingly, didn't meet with the local media on Monday after telling reporters he was not the spitter Ramsey accused him of being Sunday postgame. He can avoid the blame for now, but eventually his actions will have consequences.
Why did Ja'Marr Chase spit on Jalen Ramsey?
Your guess is as good as mine here, but Ramsey is one of the best instigators in the NFL. He has a long history of getting on wide receivers' bad side, and Chase is no exception to that rule. The duo were jostling all game long, even though Ramsey is no longer the CB1 he once was.
The Steelers held Chase in check during the teams' second matchup of the season, as he was targeted 10 times and only made three catches for 30 yards. This, along with the Steelers much-improved coverage and secondary scheme as compared to the first game between these teams, led to plenty of frustration on the Cincinnati sideline. With the game getting out of hand, Chase took matters into his own hands and found a way to rid Pittsburgh's defense of one of its best playmakers.
Why the NFL should suspend Ja'Marr Chase for spitting on Jalen Ramsey
The NFL has every reason to suspended Chase and arguably fine Ramsey for his reaction and subsequent ejection. For the sake of this article, we're going to use previous precedent to identify exactly what Chase could be looking at. The Bengals can ill-afford to lose Chase for any of their remaining games, as they have little margin for error remaining if they hope to make the postseason.
The Bengals are third in the AFC North and well out of an AFC Wild Card spot at 3-7 on the campaign. While Joe Burrow should return around Thanksgiving, Cincinnati needs to stay afloat until then. Upcoming matchups against the Patriots and Ravens (which Burrow could be back for) won't make that easy.
Unfortunately for Chase and the Bengals, the NFL has set a precedent of punishment for spitting on an opposing player, and it starts with a suspension of at least one game. Look no further than what happened to Jalen Carter when he spit in Dak Prescott's face back in Week 1.
Jalen Carter sets a precedent for Ja'Marr Chase suspension
What makes Chase's incident so tough to comprehend is that Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said postgame that his star wide receiver would own up to the incident.
“Obviously what happened is crossing the line,” Taylor said, per NFL Network. “We can’t have that. I know [Chase will] own up to that.”
To Mike Tomlin's credit, he didn't make any excuses for Ramsey's actions, saying that he should've kept a cool head and remained in the game. Tomlin refused comment on Chase specifically, leaving that for the NFL to decide.
If Carter's precedent is any indication, Chase will miss a game as a result of his actions. Carter's incident occurred early in the Eagles Week 1 win over the Cowboys, thus the NFL determined he had already missed a game and forfeited a check. Carter received a record fine for spitting on Prescott, but chose not to appeal since he wasn't suspended for an added game.
If, for any reason, the NFL decides not to suspend Chase, Steelers fans can (and honestly should) revolt, as it would signal the star wideout receiving preferential treatment by the league just because the officials missed the call on the field.