The National Football League has fined San Francisco 49ers star defensive end Nick Bosa $11,255 for wearing a MAGA hat on the field on Oct. 27 in a post-game interview.
According to a report from ESPN, Bosa was fined after he crashed an interview with 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy after their “Sunday Night Football” victory. Bosa could be seen walking right up behind Purdy and pointing to his hat during the interview.
The NFL rulebook lays out in Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8 what players are allowed and not allowed to wear on game days.
It says that “throughout the period on game-day that a player is visible to the stadium and television audience (including in pregame warm-ups, in the bench area, and during post-game interviews in the locker room or on the field), players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration, unless such message has been approved in advance by the League office.
“The League will not grant permission for any club or player to wear, display, or otherwise convey messages, through helmet decals, arm bands, jersey patches, mouthpieces, or other items affixed to game uniforms or equipment, which relate to political activities or causes, other non-football events, causes or campaigns, or charitable causes or campaigns. Further, any such approved items must be modest in size, tasteful, non-commercial, and non-controversial; must not be worn for more than one football season.”
Bosa was asked by reporters after the game about his decision to wear the MAGA hat, and he said he didn’t want to “talk too much about it” but said it was “an important time.”
After the election, when he was asked if he was worried about a fine, Bosa told reporters “It was well worth it.”
“I don’t think my position on speaking about it is going to change, so clearly the nation spoke,” Bosa said. “We got what we got.”
Bosa did say that he watched the election results on Tuesday night, noting that it was “fun.”
“It was a good time,” Bosa told reporters.