Things tend to get heated between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. Sunday was no exception.
With roughly 13 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of thePittsburgh's 34-12 win,cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase got into it.
Ramsey punched Chase in the helmet and was disqualified from the game.
Jalen Ramsey has been ejected from the game! Ja'marr Chase takes a hit to the facepic.twitter.com/yWnjwQJ4Fi
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs)November 16, 2025
Making matters worse for Pittsburgh, Ramsey's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty turned a would-be fourth-and-1 for the Bengals into a first down.
The Bengals had feigned going for it on fourth down prior to the penalty, but didn't draw the Steelers offsides and appeared ready to punt or attempt a long field goal without the first down.
Jalen Ramsey says Ja'Marr Chase spat on him
Why did Ramsey punch Chase? Ramsey said after the game it's because Chase spat on him.
Warning: NSFW language in video below
#SteelersDB Jalen Ramsey on what led to him punching Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase.#HereWeGopic.twitter.com/JobLuCWV9X
— Brendan Howe (@bybrendanhowe)November 16, 2025
"He spit on me. So, it's up," Ramsey said. "I don't give a f*** about football after that. Respectfully."
Chase denies the accusation
Chase told reporters after the game that he didn't spit on Ramsey.
"I didn't spit on nobody."Here is what Ja'Marr Chase had to say about his altercation with Jalen Ramsey:pic.twitter.com/PRRnqWt4kw
— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles)November 16, 2025
"I ain't never opened my mouth to that guy," Chase said when asked if he spit on Ramsey. ... "I didn't spit on nobody."
Chase instead characterized as the leadup to Ramsey's punch as "exchanging words."
"He don't like some of the stories I told him," Chase said. "We'd been going back and forth the whole time. So I'm straight. Something got under his skin."
So did Chase spit?
Here's a closer but grainier look at the moment before Ramsey's punch. It's not clear from that video if Chase spat. But the video isn't clear enough to determine with certainty whether or not he did.
Jalen Ramsey punches Ja'marr Chase and gets ejected from the gamepic.twitter.com/i8GU2Blk0i
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs)November 16, 2025
Unless clearer evidence emerges, we're left to take Ramsey's word for it.
Tensions escalated throughout game
Things were heated prior to Ramsey's punch. Ramsey and Chase been jawing at each other since the first half. And they each received offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties for a confrontation after the play prior to Ramsey's ejection. Each player had grabbed the other's face mask and squared off before officials broke it up.
They were both warned that another unsportsmanlike penalty would result in a disqualification. Ramsey would likely have been ejected regardless of his prior penalty because of his punch. Chase did not retaliate to the punch and remained on the field for the Bengals.
The penalty advanced Cincinnati to Pittsburgh's 29-yard line for first-and-10. But the Bengals couldn't capitalize with a touchdown. They settled for a field goal to cut their deficit to 20-12 after a Nick Herbig sack of Joe Flacco pushed the Bengals into third-and-17.
But a pair of late defensive touchdowns allowed the Steelers to blow the game open to improve to 6-4 and remain in control of the AFC North. They secured the win despite losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers and running back Jaylen Warren to injury and playing the fourth quarter without Ramsey.
The loss dropped the Bengals to 3-7 and further out of the playoff picture as theyawait the anticipated returnof starting quarterback Joe Burrow.