Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey has accused Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase of spitting on him during a fiery second-half clash during Sunday’s 34-12 Steelers win.

It was an incident that escalated into a physical altercation and resulted in Ramsey’s ejection from the game, despite his protests that something had provoked a reaction that led to him striking Chase’s helmet.

“He spit on me,” Ramsey said. “I don’t give a f**k about football after that — respectfully. I’m always going to be all for trash talking, I actually enjoy that part of the game. We were talking s**t, which I’m cool with but, as soon as he spit, it was ‘F**k that!’.”

The receiver flatly denied the allegation that he had spat on or at Ramsey after the game, telling reporters: “I never opened my mouth to that guy… I didn’t spit on nobody” — only for broadcast footage to emerge that appeared to show exactly the opposite.

The confrontation erupted early in the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium, beginning with verbal jawing before Ramsey swiped at Chase’s helmet and grabbed his facemask. Team-mates and officials quickly stepped in as tempers flared. Both players received offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, but Ramsey was tossed from the game with 13 minutes remaining. Referee Bill Vinovich announced on the field, and later confirmed, that the ejection was for ‘punching’, adding that officials did not see Chase spit on Ramsey.

They also didn’t see fit to punish what appeared to be helmet-to-helmet contact involving the same players as Ramsey followed through on Chase as the Bengals player corralled a touchdown pass from Joe Flacco earlier in the game.

The NFL says that it will review the spitting incident, with precedent already set this season after Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected before the first snap of the 2025 Kickoff Game for spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Carter later received a one-game suspension that was considered served due to the timing of his ejection.

Whether Chase faces similar discipline now rests with the NFL’s disciplinary office as tensions between two AFC North rivals continue to simmer.