As Ja’Marr Chase attempted to put his spitting incident and confrontation with Jalen Ramsey behind him, there remained some ambiguities about the situation. Chase was also unapologetic about his approach to playing football.
Chase on Nov. 25 at Paycor Stadium spoke publicly for the first time since the spitting incident during the Nov. 16 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers that led to Ramsey being ejected from the game and Chase being suspended for the Cincinnati Bengals’ Nov. 23 loss to the New England Patriots. Chase reiterated some of the sentiments from the written apology he posted to social media channels Nov. 24. Ramsey wasn’t included in the apology, though, and Chase didn’t give the impression the two players would be circling back on their fracas.
“No, we didn’t have no conversations, nothing like that,” Chase said. “I don’t got no way to be in contact with him, so …”
Asked about the circumstances leading to the in-game altercation with Ramsey, Chase said: “All I can say is there’s limits when stuff happens. You know what I’m saying? There’s limits. And there’s an amount of limits people can control and they gonna allow. That’s all I can say about that.”
Chase declined to comment on the specifics of his on-field exchanges with Ramsey.
The Bengals and Steelers won’t play again this regular season, so Chase’s and Ramsey’s situation will likely fall out of the public scope in the coming weeks, as well as the offseason to follow.
Ja’Marr Chase says watching Bengals on TV was ‘nerve-racking.’
During his suspension, Chase experienced NFL football as many non-players do: On the edge of his seat. He said his Nov. 23 afternoon watching the Bengals-Patriots game on TV was nerve-racking.
Chase spent time in the days leading up to the game practicing individually at the Cincinnati Bearcats’ on-campus Sheakley Indoor Practice Facility.
Chase said he was bored at times while prohibited from being with his teammates and coaches at Paycor Stadium. He did some reflecting, but it didn’t appear that led him to think differently on the circumstances that led to the altercation with Ramsey.
Asked if he was concerned about the suspension and its circumstances haunting him later on, Chase said, “No, I could care less.”
“At the end of the day, I don’t really have anything to prove with who I am,” Chase said. “Either you like me or you don’t. I could care less. I’m still gonna go for it at the end of the day. I got kids. I got people to take care of, so I could really care less. I’m going out there. Be the same player I am, you know what I’m saying, and play football. Nobody gonna stop me from who I am.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ja’Marr Chase on suspension comeback – ‘Nobody gonna stop me from who I am.’
Reporting by Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
