NFL official explains the Ja'Marr Chase unsportsmanlike penalty

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase received a costly personal foul penalty during his team’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Now, we have word from the officials who made the call about the reasoning.

Official Alex Kemp released a statement via pool report, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby: “It’s pretty clear cut. It’s just simply abusive language toward a game official. That’s all it was. And there was really no interpretation. I’m not going to repeat to you what he said.”

Chase was frustrated over the lack of a flag on a tackle he took to be an unsafe hip drop tackle, which the league banned this offseason.

But even on the broadcast, it seemed clear things went too far from Chase’s end, with Joe Burrow even getting involved to hold him back.

Chase’s penalty cost the Bengals yardage and momentum in what was eventually a one-point loss, 26-25.

The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. provided the full exchange: