Ja'Marr Chase Calls Out Hall Of Fame Media Voice For Comments On Jalen Ramsey Spitting Incident

CINCINNATI — Ja'Marr Chase looked like he had plenty of fun chaopping it up with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson during their "Nightcap" interview on Super Bowl Radio Row, but he had to address one big issue with Sharpe.

Chase did not like how Sharpe criticized him this past November after Chase was suspended by the NFL for one game after spitting on Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey in Cincinnati's loss to Pittsburgh.

"That is the lowest thing you can do," Sharpe said on Nightcap back around the time of the November incident. "Ocho, he (Chase) spit on that man, and he lied. And Jalen Ramsey said, 'he spit on me.' So it's up after that. F football, after that point. ... Do you know how disrespectful, how degrading that is as a Black man. Chase, you know the history in Louisiana, in the south. ... That's what they used to do to your grandpa, your great grandpa, your great grandma when they were trying to integrate the schools. Come on, Chase! We gotta be better than that. ... We can't do that to each other. I get it. Yeah, we get upset, yeah, we get angry. But come on, we gotta do better than that when it comes to each other."

Chase instantly addressed it as soon as he and fellow Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins entered the show's set on Wednesday.

"Ay Shay, you know you didn't have to say that about me spitting on that N****," Chase said in a clip posted on Instagram. "You ain't gonna talk about me like that now. I got good character on me."

Chase fully apologized for the incident after returning from his one-game suspension.

"To my team, fans, the Bengals organization, the Steelers organization, and the NFL community: Please know I am speaking from my heart when I say I take full responsibility for my actions during last Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh. What I did was wrong," Chase posted on Instagram. "The circumstances don’t matter. My passion for the game is no excuse. There’s zero place in our sport — or in life — for that level of disrespect. I want to personally apologize to everyone within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. I let my emotions in the moment get the better of me. I can only hope and trust you know none of it represents who I am — not as a competitor, teammate, or person. I also want to apologize to my coaches, teammates, and organization for not meeting my own standards as a leader of this team. This has been a tough season with some incredibly hard losses.

"We’ve all been frustrated. But instead of stepping up with calm, class, and leadership, I let you down. My having to sit out yesterday’s game makes my actions even more inexcusable. I won’t let it happen again. Finally, I want to apologize to my fans. I do not take anyone who wears my jersey for granted. I do not take my position as a role model lightly. As someone who strives to lead with character and authenticity, I should have taken immediate accountability for what happened. I am committed to earning back your respect — not just with words, but with my actions, day after day, on and off the field. I promise to keep learning from this and to set a higher standard for myself moving forward."

Check out the full exchange from Wednesday here.

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