Ja'Marr Chase's one-game suspension for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey was upheld Tuesday, meaning the star Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver can't play Sunday against the New England Patriots.
Chase's appeal was heard by Jordy Nelson, who was jointly appointed by the NFL and NFL Players Association. Nelson upheld the suspension, which the league had announced Monday.
The ban will cost Chase his weekly paycheck of $448,333. He also will forfeit a $58,823 per-game active bonus.
The incident occurred in Cincinnati's 34-12 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Video from Cincinnati's WXIX-TV showed Chase clearly spitting in Ramsey's direction, which prompted Ramsey to throw a punch at Chase.
At the time, officials did not spot Chase's actions before ejecting Ramsey for the thrown punch. Chase finished the game.
"We did not see anything that rose to that level at all," referee Bill Vinovich said in a pool report afterward.
Chase also denied spitting on Ramsey. The two had been in a scuffle earlier in the game, which prompted offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
In announcing the suspension, the NFL cited the section of the rulebook that applies to "any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship."
Information from ESPN's Ben Baby was used in this report.
