Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been suspended one game after the NFL found he spat on Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey on Sunday. Chase will miss the Bengals’ Week 12 game against the New England Patriots.

The incident occurred in the fourth quarter of the Bengals’ 34-12 loss to the Steelers. Ramsey was ejected for throwing a punch at Chase, but said after the game that it was a reaction to Chase spitting on him. Chase denied the spitting accusation, but field-level footage from Fox 19 in Cincinnati seemed to support Ramsey’s claim.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Monday that while he’s always been impressed with how Chase handles himself in situations where defenders try to agitate him, what happened with Ramsey was “unacceptable.”

“Obviously, what happened is crossing the line,” Taylor said Monday. “We can’t have that. I know he’ll own up to that.”

Chase was asked directly after the game whether he spat on Ramsey, which is when the receiver denied the claim.

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

Chase was asked about the incident again during an open locker room session on Monday, but the wide receiver, who typically talks with the media on Thursdays, declined comment.

In its statement announcing the suspension, the league said that Chase “will be eligible to return to the Bengals’ active roster on Monday, Nov. 24, following the team’s Nov. 23 game against the New England Patriots.”

Chase was fined twice in the 2024 season, first for a non-physical offense against an official in Week 2 ($31,599) and then for an obscene gesture in Week 5 ($19,697). He has never been suspended.

In the season opener, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was suspended for one game for spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before kickoff. Carter was ejected before the game began, and the league considered his suspension served after Week 1.

Although spitting incidents have led to fines — not suspensions — in previous seasons, the NFL made sportsmanship a point of emphasis this year.