The New England Patriots are looking at a golden opportunity to stretch their winning streak to nine straight on Sunday when they face a Cincinnati Bengals team that, in addition to coming in at 3-7, appears badly weakened by injuries.
But one Bengals star who will sit out the game is suffering a severe injury â to his wallet. Not only will first-team All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase be forced to miss the Patriots showdown due to a one-game suspension, a new report revealed exactly how much the offense will cost him in an NFL punishment that comes in the form of cold, hard cash.
Patriots Heavy Favorites in Bengals Game
The Bengals expected multiple absences for the game make the Patriots heavy road favorites to extend their winning streak which, if they get the victory, would be the longest streak of victories within a single NFL regular season since last season when the Kansas City Chiefs opened their season at 9-0.
In 2018, the Houston Texans also won nine in a row.
The 9-2 Patriots as of Wednesday were favored to beat the Bengals by 7 1/2 points in betting odds posted by FanDuel Sportsbook. In straight moneyline odds, the Patriots are -420 favorites, meaning that in order to make a $100 profit on a New England victory, a bettor would need to lay down $420.
Chase Suspended For Alleged Spitting Incident
One of the main reasons for the lopsided odds would be the suspension of fifth-year wide receiver and four-time Pro Bowl selection Ja’Marr Chase. The Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021, Chase earned his first All-Pro honor last year when he led the NFL with 1,708 receiving yards and a 100.5 yards-per-game average.
But last Sunday in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, video showed Chase appearing to spit on Pittsburgh cornerback Jalen Ramsey during a physical altercation that resulted in Chase being ejected for throwing a punch at the Pittsburgh cornerback.
Chase was not ejected from the game, but the next day after reviewing video of the incident, NFL league officials hit Chase with a one-game suspension for what it said was spitting on an opponent.
Chase protested, telling reporters after the game, “I never opened my mouth to that guy. I didn’t spit on nobody,” as quoted in a People Magazine report on the altercation.
Amount of Financial Penalty Revealed
The Bengals star appealed the suspension, but on Tuesday NFL hearing officer Jordy Nelson, himself a retired wide receiver who played his entire 10-year career with the Green Bay Packers, denied Chase’s appeal.
According to a report by longtime ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the effective financial punishment leveled on Chase will come to a whopping $507,000 in lost salary.
In fact, by losing the game salary of $448,333 plus his $58,823 per game bonus for being on the active roster, Chase is set to lose $507,156, according to CBS Sports.
The punishment is the fifth of Chase’s career. The 2021 No. 5 overall draft pick out of LSU has previously been hit with four different fines totaling $91,080.
In addition to missing out on Chase, the Patriots will apparently not have to deal with another 2024 first-team All-Pro, defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who is listed as “doubtful” with what has been described as a “core muscle injury.”
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