Ja’Marr Chase offers firm response to Jalen Ramsey’s accusation following Bengals’ crushing loss against Steelers

Chase and the Bengals fell to the Steelers in Week 11.

John Sheeran Cincinnati Bengals News Writer
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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) is pushed out of a skirmish at midfield in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. The Bengals lost 34-12.
© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was accused of spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The two players were involved in a scuffle during the fourth quarter of Cincinnati’s 34-12 loss to Pittsburgh, in which Chase’s helmet came off after Ramsey threw a punch at the wideout.

“He spit on me, so it’s up,” Ramsey told reporters after the game. “I don’t give a [expletive] about football after that.”

In the visiting team’s locker room, Chase offered a simple response to the allegation.

“I never opened my mouth to that guy,” Chase said. “I didn’t spit on nobody.”

Ja’Marr Chase reflects on altercation with Jalen Ramsey

Tensions between Chase and Ramsey appeared to be building leading up to the fourth quarter. Both players were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct following a failed third-down conversion from the Bengals. Chase and Ramsey then came face-to-face, and Ramsey engaged with Chase, leading to the latter’s helmet coming off moments later.

“He don’t like some of the words I told him,” Chase said. “We had been going back and forth the whole time, so I’m sure something got under his skin.”

When asked if this was the first time he had ever been punched in a game, Chase offered a question of his own.

“You see me get punched?”

Ramsey claims the spitting happened right before then.

Chase finished the game with three receptions for 30 yards on 10 targets. The Steelers, as expected, opted for a different scheme to prevent the 25-year-old from having the 16-reception game he posted last month against them.

Chase said that while Pittsburgh didn’t double-team him on every snap, there was frustration about falling short after the lead-up to this game.

“It’s hard knowing how hard we worked at practice and not excuting to our best ability,” Chase said. “We gotta do better as a team.”

The NFL will review Chase and Ramsey’s incident and bestow punishment if necessary. Cincinnati, now 3-7 on the season, plays the 9-2 New England Patriots next Sunday.