Football player Nick Bosa has been fined by the NFL after wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat during a postgame interview on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
According to The Washington Post, the San Francisco 49ers defensive end was fined $11,255 after he wore the hat while crashing an interview with NBC’s Melissa Stark after the 49ers’ Oct. 27 win against the Dallas Cowboys. Stark was in the process of interviewing Bosa’s fellow teammates Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Isaac Guerendo when the moment occurred.
During the interview — which has since gone viral on X (formerly Twitter) — Bosa, 27, can be seen walking into frame and pointing to his hat, which featured president-elect Donald Trump’s campaign slogan.
In his own postgame interview, Bosa acknowledged the moment, saying, “I’m not going to talk too much about it, but I think it’s an important time,” per ABC News. The athlete also shared a photo of the moment on his Instagram the following day on Oct. 28.
On Wednesday, Nov. 6, Bosa told reporters that he had not been fined at the time, “but if it comes, it comes,” in an interview posted on X. When asked if he knew that wearing the MAGA hat during the broadcast could result in a fine, he said, “It was well worth it.”
“I don’t think my position on speaking about it is going to change. Clearly, the nation spoke and we got what we got,” Bosa continued, referring to the results of the 2024 presidential election.
Nick Bosa at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Oct. 27, 2024.
Lachlan Cunningham/Getty
Official NFL policy states that players “are prohibited from wearing, displaying or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration” unless the message has been approved by the league in advance.
In addition, the organization “will not grant permission for any club or player to wear, display or otherwise convey messages … which relate to political activities or causes, other non-football events, causes or campaigns, or charitable causes or campaigns.”
These policies apply to players when they are visible to stadium and television audiences and include postgame interviews on the field and in the locker room.
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Nick Bosa on the field in October 2024.
Michael Owens/Getty
Bosa has been vocal about his support for the president-elect in the past, and Trump, 78, congratulated the athlete on joining the 49ers in a 2019 post on X.
“Congratulations to Nick Bosa on being picked number two in the NFL Draft,” Trump wrote at the time. “You will be a great player for years to come, maybe one of the best. Big Talent! San Francisco will embrace you but most importantly, always stay true to yourself. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Bosa signed a five-year, $170 million extension contract with the 49ers in September 2023, which included a $122.5 million guarantee, according to NFL.com. The player has yet to release a public statement about the fine.
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