Steelers HC Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season. It’s the first thing that always comes up, even from opponents. This week, it was Bears HC Ben Johnson’s turn, but he explained what he admires about the NFL’s longest-tenured coach. And he had a very recent example to discuss how he feels.
“Nothing but respect for him and how he goes about his business. He holds his players accountable”, Johnson said of Tomlin. “I think you saw it even this week with some of the quotes talking about a player getting spit at and his reaction to it. I mean, he’s 100 percent right, as far as I’m concerned. I think he hit the nail on the head. He just keeps it real and authentic at all times. The players respect that. You can tell that they play hard”.
You know, of course, exactly what he’s referring to. Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase spit on Jalen Ramsey, though that wasn’t known until afterward. In-game, the officials ejected Ramsey for reacting and didn’t even penalize Chase. Video clearly showed that Chase spit on Ramsey, though, prompting a suspension, and Mike Tomlin supported his player.
Speaking to reporters last week, Tomlin referred to Chase’s action toward Ramsey as “not an act that’s common to the game of football”. He insisted they were moving on, but when asked what his message was to a player who had that happen to them, he said, “I have no message if someone spits in your face. Do what comes natural”.
What game natural to Ramsey was to jab Chase in the face. While not everybody may not agree, many view spitting on somebody as the ultimate sign of disrespect. You spit on the ground, or in a spittoon, and when you spit on another person, you’re signaling that positioning. You’re as low as dirt.
It will be interesting to see how the NFL views Jalen Ramsey’s reaction after the fact. In-game, they threw him out, but that’s before they knew Ja’Marr Chase spit on him. Will they consider the ejection sufficient punishment, or will he be fined, too? And if he is fined, will he win his appeal based on extenuating circumstances?
It’s hardly surprising that Ben Johnson agrees with Mike Tomlin’s comments, and I’m sure he’s far from alone. Chase hasn’t done himself any favors this week, and lying about it didn’t help. First he denied spitting, then said if he were spitting at Ramsey, he would have spat in his face.
Of course, he also caught just three passes for 30 yards in the game. The Bengals’ season is effectively over, but now he’s hurting the team even more by taking him off the field for a game. While I don’t condone violence, what does one do when somebody spits on you? What is the limit of reasonable response? It seems the vast majority were fine with what Jalen Ramsey chose to do in the heat of the moment, Mike Tomlin and Ben Johnson among them.
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