NOVEMBER 17: Despite the “tiny fracture” in his wrist, Rodgers “is pushing to play” on Sunday, according to Rapoport, who hears there’s a “50/50” chance it will happen. It will come down to whether Rodgers is able to grip the football.
NOVEMBER 16, 10:05pm: Per Schefter, there is concern that Rodgers sustained a “slight break” in his left wrist. More clarity, including how much time Rodgers might miss, will come after his evaluation on Monday. It sounds as if some missed time is expected, because Schefter followed his report regarding the possible break with a post suggesting Rudolph will be under center when the Steelers face the Bears in Week 12.
Nonetheless, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network says this is not expected to be a long-term issue.
5:54pm: The Bengals lost an important divisional game against the Steelers on Sunday, dropping them to 3-7. Already without starting quarterback Joe Burrow until at least Week 13, Cincinnati may also lose its top wideout, Ja’Marr Chase, for a game.
In the fourth quarter of the Bengals-Steelers contest, Pittsburgh’s Jalen Ramsey was ejected for punching Chase. While passing along a video of the incident, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo says Ramsey’s transgression appears to have been more of a grab of Chase’s facemask than a true punch. Ramsey and Chase had already been flagged for offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, however, so Ramsey presumably would have been ejected regardless.
Ramsey’s teammate, Joey Porter Jr., told reporters after the game that Chase spit on Ramsey, which triggered the mercurial defensive back’s reaction (video link via ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin). Porter acknowledges he did not see the alleged expectoration, and Chase unequivocally denied it (via Martin).
But in a video passed along by Fox 19 sports photographer Austin Briski, it appears Ramsey was correct and that Chase did, in fact, spit on him. Head referee Bill Vinovich said in the postgame pool report that neither he nor any other members of his crew witnessed that part of the altercation (from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
An NFL spokesman told ESPN’s Adam Schefter the league will be reviewing the incident. And, as Garafolo reminds us, league precedent indicates spitting does merit a suspension.
Eagles DT Jalen Carter technically was not suspended for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the first regular season game of the 2025 slate. However, that was only because the incident took place immediately after the opening kickoff, and before Carter even played a snap (Carter was fined the amount of a full game check). Since the Chase-Ramsey incident transpired in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s matchup, Chase could certainly be hit with a brief ban as well as a fine.
The spitting saga overshadowed the fact that the Steelers played half of the game without starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The soon-to-be 42-year-old sustained a left wrist injury late in the first half and did not return. Per Rapoport, Rodgers will undergo an evaluation on his wrist on Monday morning.
Backup Mason Rudolph completed 12 of 17 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Chase is a great, great player. But the Steelers made it a point to get in his head and on his nerves all game long. And it worked. Ramsey, Porter, and James Pierre frankly did a mostly outstanding job of both covering and distracting Chase. By the time they drew their penalties, Chase was working harder at hitting Ramsey after the whistle than he was at getting open…. That being said, it was dumb for Ramsey to get himself ejected. Tomlin got this one right: he didn’t need to know the reason, Ramsey shouldn’t have left his team at a disadvantage.
Let me add that while I don’t wish any player to be hurt, Rudolph continues to impress me. His general attitude, his approach to being ready and the fact that I believe he has no fear of being hit in order to wait and throw downfield is kind of refreshing in this dink and dunk offense we see week after week
You’re absolutely right about the defensive strategy and what Ramsey did today. And it’s a shame, as the guy was a catalyst back there for big hits and coverage
As a longtime Rudolph critic…agreed on all counts. He threw short a lot, but the Bengals were playing the deep ball. He threw a couple duds, but he also threw some dimes. And it’s apparent that the team likes Mason as much as Rodgers. There was zero wavering by anyone on that sideline. As for attitude, Rudolph has never complained a bit about being passed over for starting chances here, and he’s always prepared.
You are a grown man and you are spitting on another human being?
friendly reminder that jamarr never brushes his teeth or does any oral hygiene.
this is worse than normal spitting.
Plain to see the spit fly from Chase right before Ramsey smacks him. Chase no doubt should get suspended. Ramsey most likely will, too, and if not, a hefty fine.
Ramsey won’t get suspended b/c he got ejected and he didn’t really punch him. Chase definitely will.
I’m a Steelers fan, so I’m OK with your assessment.
Expect Ramsey to be suspended for at least the Chicago game. Daron Payne of Washington was DQ’d for throwing a punch at a Detroit Lion, thus got a 1-game ban which he served this week.
I’m surprising myself a bit here when I say that I don’t think that Ramsay deserves any punishment in light of the video. Spitting is assault, Ramsay reacted as I would expect someone to. Is it the best reaction? No, perhaps not, given that not everybody can see what happened to instigate it, but it’s completely understandable.
I don’t think that Ramsay should be required to “go tell an adult” after an obvious assault, even if that would be a mature way to do it. If he goes to tell a ref, and the ref says that he didn’t see it, then nothing happens, potentially, and Chase gets away with it. There’s the understandable emotional part of it, too. He reacted, and he was within his right to in my mind. Chase should, as a reasonable human being of sound mind, know what would happen if he did that. If someone did that to Ramsay on the street, and he shoved that person, I’m probably on his side (provided he doesn’t go overboard in his reaction).
Just insignificant, young boys playing a men’s game
Young boys? Try young millionaires.
Rodgers injured his left wrist. Will be interesting to see how long he will be out, unless he can try to protect it with casting. A big adjustment indeed.
So the guy who likes to talk trash about the Bears conveniently found a way to duck them? Say it ain’t so 🙂
The AFC North has become so soft that division rivals can’t even swing helmets at each other any more 🙂
The soft division is the NFC East, much to the horror of Fox.
This is the second time in 2025 that one player has purposely spit on another player. These are supposed to be grown adults that is at least how they say they want to be treated. It is time for the NFL to nip this right now, I say suspend Chase for the remainder of the season, openly disrespecting another individual by spitting on someone, I have lost all respect for Chase, then go and lie not once but twice about his own actions with spitting on another player. Nope NFL cannot let this go with just a 1 or 2 game suspension, hit him where it hurts right in the wallet, he forfeits his salary for the rest of the season. As far as Ramsey goes, he gets a 2-game suspension. None of either player actions are football related action on the field, they took it upon themselves to create a personal action not a football action.
Sometimes the jawing gets heated and spittle flies unintenionally. I havent seen the incident yet.
It’s obvious it intentional.