49ers’ Nick Bosa Hasn’t Received Fine For Wearing MAGA Hat On Air, Stands By Actions

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa told reporters that he has not yet received any disciplinary action from the NFL for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat during a Week 8 post-game segment. Bosa said that if he had to pay a fine, it would be “worth it.”

“I don’t know,” Bosa told reporters when asked about a potential punishment. “I haven’t gotten one yet, but if it comes, it comes.” 

The 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year appeared on screen wearing the white and yellow hat for a brief moment as NBC was wrapping up its Sunday Night Football coverage. 49ers players Brock Purdy and Isaac Guerendo were being interviewed when Bosa appeared behind them and pointed to the front of the hat before ducking away.

The NFL is reportedly reviewing the incident for a potential rules violation but has not taken any action at this time. Bosa could technically be punished for making a political statement as a private employee, but precedents set during the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement may protect him. At the time, the typically non-partisan league approved several forms of protest related to the movement, paving the way for players to more openly make statements related to politics and social justice on the field. Many argue that players like Colin Kaepernick were indirectly punished for participating, however.

Another violation of the rules Bosa could have made could be related to wearing unlicensed apparel on the field. Because the hat endorsing Trump wasn’t licensed by the NFL, there’s a chance that Bosa could face a minor fine for wearing the hat and displaying it on television. This would obviously obfuscate the primary motive behind Bosa’s actions, but it would also be necessary if the league decided that wearing the hat was not permitted by those licensing agreements.

Bosa has been evasive in discussing his politics further in several interviews but confirmed that he followed along with coverage of the 2024 presidential election and enjoyed watching. He has unabashedly stood by his informal endorsement.

Article by Patrick Moquin