Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey has accused Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase of spitting on him during their NFL encounter on Sunday, an incident that led to Ramsey’s ejection for throwing a punch.
The altercation occurred with approximately 13 minutes remaining in the Steelers’ 34-12 victory.
Ramsey, 31, stated after the game that while he is “OK with trash talk”, Chase “crossed the line” by spitting.
“I actually enjoy that part (talking) of the game. I think that people know that,” Ramsey explained.
He added, “I’m sure the NFL, they’ll do their due diligence. They’ve got 100 cameras out there. They can investigate. They can see everything. … They should be able to pull it up and see that he spit and it’s whatever after that, to be honest. I was still a little too nice, if I’m keeping it honest with you.”
However, Chase, 25, vehemently denied Ramsey’s account. “I ain’t ever opened my mouth to that guy,” Chase asserted post-match. “I didn’t spit on nobody.”
When questioned about the reason for Ramsey’s attempted punch, Chase suggested, “Well, he don’t like some of the words I told him. We’ve been going back and forth the whole time. So I’m sure something got under his skin.”
The two veteran players had been engaged in verbal sparring throughout the match. Both received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties earlier in the game after Ramsey claimed Chase attempted a crackback block.
Ramsey described this initial confrontation as “just a little scuffle” where Chase grabbed his mouthpiece and he pushed Chase’s facemask. Officials had warned both players that any further similar penalty would result in ejection.
Despite the warning, the situation escalated during a timeout before the subsequent play, culminating in the alleged spitting incident.
Ramsey then swung at Chase’s helmet and grabbed his facemask. Players from both teams intervened to separate them. While both were assessed offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties, Ramsey was automatically disqualified for throwing the punch.
Referee Bill Vinovich later informed a pool reporter that officials did not witness Chase spitting at Ramsey. “Obviously, we did not,” Vinovich confirmed. “We did not see anything that rose to that level at all.”
Ramsey, a cornerback throughout his 10-year career, is a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All-Pro. Chase, in his fifth season, is a four-time Pro Bowl pick and was a first-team All-Pro in 2024.
