Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was suspended for one game after spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey, a punishment former NFL player Chris Canty called too lenient to deter future incidents.
Canty, the former defensive lineman who won a Super Bowl with the Giants, was a guest on ESPN’s “First Take” on Tuesday and explained why he wanted to see a harsher punishment given to Chase.
“The league got it wrong with Ja’Marr Chase, just like they got it wrong with (Eagles defensive tackle) Jalen Carter,” Canty said. “It’s clear that the discipline that they doled out has not served as a deterrent because we’re talking about those incidents happening weeks apart. The last time we saw something of that nature on an NFL field in a prime-time spot was back in 1997 with Bill Romanowski spitting on J.J. Stokes.”
Canty added that he was more concerned about the rising escalation of players’ reactions to spitting. He said he was worried it could lead to brawls that could be a bad look for the league.
“I don’t think it’s fair and reasonable to anticipate that players would react the way that we saw (Dallas Cowboys quarterback) Dak Prescott react and remain composed in the season opener,” Canty said. “What you’re going to see is guys more like what we got from Jalen Ramsey and, God forbid if you get the wrong one, it escalating into an incident that becomes ugly and mars the NFL similar to what we remember from those ’90s Knicks-Heat matchups where the NBA had to adopt a rule about players not coming off the bench for altercations because of how ugly that scene got.
“That’s my biggest concern with how the NFL is handling this,” Canty continued. “I don’t think they sent a strong enough message that spitting on somebody is a bright red line that should not be crossed.”
In a video posted by Austin Briski, a sports photographer for Cincinnati television station Fox 19, Chase and Ramsey were arguing on the field when Chase appeared to spit on Ramsey. Ramsey was upset and hit Chase in the helmet twice. Ramsey was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for hitting Chase and ejected from the game.
The league suspended Chase for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots without pay. Chase has already said he will appeal the decision. If the suspension is upheld, Chase will lose his base weekly salary of $448,333 and his $58,823 per-game active bonus.
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