NFL hands Nick Bosa $11K fine for crashing interview with MAGA hat

Star 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was fined $11,255 by the NFL for crashing a postgame, on-field interview while wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat on Oct. 27, according to multiple reports.

Bosa donned the hat following San Francisco’s “Sunday Night Football” victory less than two weeks before the 2024 election, showing his support for Donald Trump, who ended up defeating Vice President Kamala Harris to become the country’s President-elect.

Per multiple reports, the hat violated Rule 5, section 4, article 8 of the NFL rulebook, which reads: “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 postgame 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.”

When addressing reporters this week, Bosa acknowledged that he knew a fine from the league could follow, but said that it’d be “well worth it.”

“Well, I don’t think my position on speaking about it is going to change,” Bosa said this week when asked why he decided to make the political statement. “Clearly, the nation spoke, and we got what we got.”

After the 49ers’ Week 8 game, when they defeated the Cowboys, 30-24, without stars Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk, quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle and running back Isaac Guerendo — three of the pieces that allowed San Francisco to still hit 30 points despite the absences — were being interviewed by NBC’s Melissa Stark on the field, and Bosa walked over behind Purdy and motioned toward his hat.

He exited the camera frame moments later, and Stark said, “Alright, Nick Bosa with a message there.”

Bosa didn’t comment much on his decision during his postgame press conference.

“I’m not gonna talk too much about it,” Bosa said that night, “but I think it’s an important time.”

Bosa, in his sixth NFL season after being selected No. 2 overall in the 2019 draft and the 2022 defensive player of the year, finished the 49ers’ win against the Cowboys with a sack, three quarterback hits and three tackles, and he has collected 4.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hits through San Francisco’s opening eight games.

The 49ers face the Buccaneers on Sunday in Tampa, trying to pick up a third win across their past four games while getting McCaffrey back for the first time this season.