Steelers Vet Implies Ja'Marr Chase Should Be Tossed From The NFL Following Spitting Incident

Pittsburgh Steelers player Cam Heyward recently slammed Ja'Marr Chase after he appeared to spit at another Pittsburgh player, Jalen Ramsey, during their recent contest on Sunday, November 16.

During the game, things got a bit testy between Ja'Marr Chase and Ramsey, leading to flying loogies, thrown punches, and NFL ejections.

As covered by The Blast, Chase found himself in a sticky situation during the Cincinnati Bengals' recent matchup against division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

During the second half of a competitive contest, videos show Chase appearing to spit at Ramsey, a Steelers defensive player, after jawing back and forth throughout the game.

Chase's actions sparked a fight, prompting Ramsey to strike him with his helmet, grab his facemask, and begin yanking him around before an NFL official stopped him and ejected him from the contest.

Ramsey's teammate, Heyward, opened up about the situation with reporters, slamming Chase and seemingly questioning his place in the league.

"We don't ever want to see guys kicked out, but when one of our guys gets treated like that, I feel like he just handled it the right way," he said. "Two competitors, but one guy took it too far. Our guy got penalized, but if you're going to spit on a guy, you don't belong in the game. Hopefully the NFL handles it."

NFL officials claim they didn't see Chase spit at Ramsey during the contest, which is why the LSU alum wasn't punished on Sunday.

However, Ramsey made it clear during his post-game interview that his being assaulted prompted his strong reaction.

"He spit on me, so, it's up," Ramsey said. "I don't give a f-ck about football after that. Respectfully."

Chase also spoke with reporters after the game, denying the claims despite video footage clearly showing something different.

"I never opened my mouth to that guy," Chase said. "I didn't spit on nobody."

NFL fans have already begun criticizing Chase for his behavior and for appearing to lie to reporters about the incident after the game.

"Ja'Marr Chase is a liar!" someone wrote online. "The video footage says otherwise! It all makes sense why Jalen Ramsey hit him! Chase was frustrated; he was SHUT DOWN all day by JPJ!"

Sports analyst and ESPN OG Stephen A. Smith shared a similar statement on "First Take," per Steelers Depot, calling for Chase's immediate suspension.

"It should be an automatic two-game suspension," he said on camera. "Automatic one is for the spitting. Another is for telling a bald-faced lie because he was lying. It's clear as day."

Everyday fans aren't the only ones with thoughts on the matter, either.

On the popular late-night sports show, "Nightcap," retired NFL players Shannon Sharpe and Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson also got on Chase for his actions.

"The most disrespectful thing you can do [is spit on someone]," Sharpe said. "You're telling me I'm the ground. That's the lowest thing you can do—and he lied."

Johnson, one of Chase's biggest supporters and a former Bengals player, also condemned the wide receiver's actions, describing them as "dead wrong."

"As much as I love you, you can't do that," Johnson continued. "You can't do that. You can be angry. You can be mad. You can say what you wanna to say to a player on the field, but you can't spit on nobody."

Johnson, who had his fair share of controversy during his time in the league, didn't stop there.

While he acknowledged that tensions can rise during divisional matches, Johnson explained that there was a better way for Chase to handle the situation.

"As much as I love you, I'm disappointed, obviously, in your actions," Johnson added.

It's still unclear how the NFL will punish Chase, but one thing is clear: his head coach, Zac Taylor, has his back.

"I've always thought it was unbelievable how he's handled himself in some really high-pressure, emotional decisions," he said in a press conference. "Obviously, what happened is crossing the line. We can't have that. And I know he'll own up to that."