'I ain't gonna tolerate that': Disgusting act that triggered punch thrown in heated NFL clash caught on camera

Pittsburgh's crucial win over the Bengals has been marred by a spitting allegation from Jalen Ramsey, after the veteran defensive end was ejected from the game.

Ramsey had been going back-and-forth with Ja'Marr Chase throughout the game, but tempers flared in the fourth quarter when the pair came together.

The final scuffle saw the Steelers safety thrown out for punching Chase, but the hosts held on for a 34-12 divisional win at Acrisure Stadium.

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While the initial footage showed Ramsey clearly lash out at Chase, the 31-year-old has since explained what led to the heated altercation.

"He spit on me - I don't give a f--- about football after that, respectfully," Ramsey told media from the Steelers sheds after the game.

"I'm always gonna be all for trash talk, shit talk and stuff like that, I enjoy that part of the game and that's what we were doing.

"We got up talking shit and he snatched my mouthpiece from my facemask and that's when I pushed his facemask. That was just a little scuffle and the refs told us to chill - I'm cool to talk shit, but let's keep it clean.

"The next play, same shit and we were talking shit, which I'm cool with - as soon as he spit, it was f--- that, I ain't gonna tolerate that part.

"I'm sure the NFL will do their due diligence, they have got plenty of cameras out there."

A reporter also asked Ramsey if spitting was "one of the most disrespectful things someone can do" and his response was damning.

"It's what pussies do, quite honestly," he said.

Chase has since denied the allegations from Ramsey in his own post-game presser.

"I ain't ever opened my mouth to that guy," the Bengals receiver said.

"We'd been going back and forth that whole time, something got under his skin.

"I didn't spit on nobody."

The win for the Steelers cemented their spot atop the AFC North division on Monday morning (AEDT), but it came at a cost when Aaron Rodgers suffered an injury.

Mason Rudolph guided a pair of long second-half scoring drives after taking over for the injured Rodgers as the Steelers surged past the Cincinnati Bengals to win 34-12.

Rodgers, the NFL's oldest active player at 41, injured his left hand during a Pittsburgh drive late in the first half. It was unclear exactly when the four-time MVP was hurt, but he was hit illegally twice during the drive, resulting in two penalties.

While the Steelers (6-4) initially listed Rodgers' status as questionable, he did not return to the sideline for the second half and remained in the locker room.

That allowed Rudolph - the long-time backup who led the Steelers on a late run to the playoffs in 2023 - to enter the fray and see out the crucial victory.

Rudolph completed 12 of 16 throws for 127 yards, including a five-yard touchdown pass to running back Kenny Gainwell with 3:40 left that sealed it.

Pittsburgh's defence, which was shredded by Joe Flacco and the Bengals a month ago, added two touchdowns of its own as safety Kyle Dugger returned a pass 74 yards for a pick-six, while James Pierre added a 32-yard scoop-and-score late in the fourth.

The division leaders will be in first place in the North when they travel to face the Chicago Bears next week, though who the quarterback will be is a mystery for now.