Bengals HC Zac Taylor: Ja'Marr Chase crossed a line in spitting on Jalen Ramsey

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was caught on video spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey during Sunday’s Week 11 matchup. Though Chase denied after the game that he did, the video said otherwise.

The NFL determined that Chase did, in fact, spit on Ramsey, and suspended him one game. Prior to the league announcing Chase’s suspension, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor addressed his star wideout’s actions against the Steelers. Taylor stood up for Chase, though he admitted that the 25-year-old crossed a line.

“I’ve always thought it was unbelievable how he’s handled himself in some really high-pressure, emotional decisions,” Taylor said. “Obviously, what happened is crossing the line. We can’t have that. And I know he’ll own up to that. But beyond that, I’ve always sat up here and praised Ja’Marr because he’s one of the best leaders we’ve got.”

Field-level view of the second altercation between Ja'Marr Chase and Jalen Ramsey. Chase said "I didn't spit on nobody."

The video clearly shows he did.#Bengals @FOX19 pic.twitter.com/ooGzInoPdS

— Austin Briski (@austin_briski) November 16, 2025

Ramsey responded in a manner which got him ejected from the game. He threw a punch at Chase, an automatic disqualification. After the game, Ramsey claimed that Chase spit on him, leading to him responding with a punch.

“He spit on me. So, it sucked,” Ramsey said. “I don’t give a [expletive] about football after that, respectfully.”

Chase, told what Ramsey had to say, denied the accusation: “I never opened my mouth to that guy… I didn’t spit on nobody.” Chase declined to speak to reporters Monday.

Ja’Marr Chase to pay hefty price for spitting on Jalen Ramsey

Taylor was further pressed about Chase but stayed consistent. This incident doesn’t change how he feels about him, he said.

“I’m not perfect. Trust me. I made plenty of mistakes people don’t see on camera. Unfortunately, his was,” Taylor said. “He’s going to have to own up for that and that’ll be part of his journey.”

The one-game suspension for Chase is consistent with previous spitting incidents. Back in Week 1, Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Since Carter was ejected before participating in a single play, that served as his one-game suspension. Carter was also fined $57,222.

Chase will lose a lot of money if his suspension is upheld. He is set to forfeit his $448,333 game check and a $58,824 active roster bonus.