Certain things don’t need to be reported. They are anyway.
Yes, the league will be reviewing the various cameras from its stadium-by-stadium Hawkeye camera system to determine whether Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase spit on Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey. Yes, a decision whether to suspend Chase will happen today, given that he will have expedited appeal rights in advance of next Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
That’s not reporting. It’s a reflection of the understanding of how the NFL conducts its business on the Monday after a slate of games.
The only question is whether the NFL will follow the new precedent created after Week 1 of the current season and suspend Chase for Week 12.
Before the league’s _de facto_ suspension of Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, spitting triggered a fine. With Carter, the league treated Carter’s ejection — which happened before a single play from scrimmage in the opening game of the season — as time served. The NFL then fined him the amount of a game check, matching the financial punishment for a one-game suspension without pay.
The message was sent to all players who may be inclined to show blatant disrespect to another player: Unless spit happens early enough to make the ejection count as missing a game, you will be suspended without pay.
Chase wasn’t ejected on Sunday because, as referee Clete Blakeman said in a pool report after Sunday’s game, none of the officials saw it. Which is understandable. Nothing was happening at the time. There was no reason to have eyes on players who might be inclined to send a loogie in the direction of an opponent.
Because Chase wasn’t ejected, the Jalen Carter precedent points directly to a one-game suspension.
That doesn’t mean the league will do it. They have a habit of making up the rules as they go. They don’t like to be bound by concepts like past practices, because they prefer to make decisions on a case-by-case basis. They make not want to keep a popular and productive player from playing in a key game for both the Bengals and the Patriots, and for the other teams chasing playoff positioning.
Also, Carter didn’t appeal his punishment. Chase — who has said “I didn’t spit on nobody” (which technically counts as an admission that he did spit on somebody) — will surely appeal. What will the randomly-assigned hearing officer do?
The first question is whether the league will exercise its prerogative to suspend Chase. The factual questions are: (1) did Chase spit; and (2) did the spit hit Ramsey? It’s possible that the league will find a way to tiptoe around a suspension by saying there’s no clear evidence that the spit struck Ramsey. (It would be borderline ridiculous to come to that conclusion, but it wouldn’t be the first time the league made a borderline ridiculous interpretation of the available video.)
We’ll find out today whether the league will follow the Jalen Carter precedent. Then, if Chase is suspended, we’ll find out whether the suspension is upheld.
Regardless, the Jalen Carter precedent calls for a suspension of Chase.