Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been fined $31,599 by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct and a foul call with referee Alex Kemp during their 26-25 Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Chase was unhappy after being tackled by Trent McDuffie, with the Bengals wideout demanding a flag for a hip-drop tackle, a technique that has been banned this season. McDuffie was not penalized for the play and was not listed in the fines announced by the NFL on Saturday.
Chase was tackled after a 4-yard reception that should have put the Bengals on third-and-7 at the Chiefs’ 30-yard line in the fourth quarter at Arrowhead Stadium. Instead of returning to the huddle, Chase jumped up and confronted Kemp.
While it’s unclear exactly what was said, Kemp said that’s when Chase crossed the line.
“The simple answer is: foul language by grown men versus direct, personal insults toward a match official,” Kemp said, via ESPN’s Ben Baby, when asked about the difference between insults and simple disagreements on the field. “That’s the line. When that line is crossed, we simply cannot allow that to happen in professional football.”
At one point during the confrontation, things got so bad that the Bengals had to settle for a field goal to go up by two early in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Joe Burrow pushed Chase hard to keep him away from Kemp and the officials.
“I’m just trying to de-escalate the situation,” Burrow said, via ESPN. “I’m not entirely sure what was said or who threw the flag.”
Chase did not want to comment on the penalty after the match.
“I don’t talk about it,” Chase said when asked about it.
As for the tackle that initially took Chase out, Kemp said they believed it was a legal move.
“We let him know we didn’t think it was a hip throw tackle,” Kemp said, via ESPN.
Chase finished with 35 yards on four catches in the loss to the Bengals, who fell to 0-2 on the season. The Chiefs, thanks in part to a pass interference call on fourth down on their final drive, fired a 51-yard field goal to seal the one-point win.
