Ja’Marr Chase‘s frustrating 2024 spilled over into game action on Sunday.
In the fourth quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals’ 26-25 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Chase was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, which ultimately sputtered a drive.
After the game, referee Alex Kemp said Chase was upset at what he believed was a hip-drop tackle on the play, per the postgame pool report. Kemp threw the flag after what he defined as abusive language from Chase.
“It’s pretty clear cut. It’s just simply abusive language toward a game official,” Kemp said. “That’s all it was. And there was really no interpretation. I’m not going to repeat to you what he said, but there was no interpretation with the language that he used — just abusive language.”
Kemp was asked how refs determine when a player crosses the line from disagreement to abuse.
“The simple answer is, profanity used by grown men versus direct, personal abusive language towards a game official,” he said. “That’s the line. When that line gets crossed, we simply can’t let that happen in pro football.”
Chase declined to comment on the penalty after the contest.
The star wideout, who sat out most of the offseason in search of a contract extension that never came, finished with four catches on five targets for 35 yards.
The penalty occurred after a four-yard pass from Joe Burrow to Chase, who was taken down by Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie. A would-be third-and-7 turned into a third-and-22, ultimately forcing a Bengals field goal instead of having a shot to extend the drive further. Two drives later, the Chiefs kicked the game-winning field goal.
Kemp said he told Chase that refs “did not feel” the tackle was a hip-drop takedown, which the NFL banned this offseason.
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