Following the San Francisco 49ers’ last game, defensive end Nick Bosa went viral for showing his “Make American Great Again” hat during a television interview, which was pretty clearly in violation of NFL rules. But even though the investigation is still ongoing, it sounds like the NFL has already made a decision regarding what his punishment could be.
According to a report from Mark Maske of the Washington Post, Nick Bosa will not be facing a suspension as a result of his political display.
Though he still could be facing a fine.
“The NFL is reviewing the 49ers’ Nick Bosa wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat during NBC’s postgame interviews Sunday night. Bosa is not facing a suspension but could be fined for violating NFL rules, source says. No decision is expected before next week,” Maske said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
Maske explains that Bosa did appear to violate the league rules with his display of the MAGA hat.
“Under NFL rules, 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,’ he wrote in a follow-up post. “Those rules apply to game days whenever 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).'”
It’s pretty clear that Bosa was in violation of those policies with his antics following the game.
“Nick Bosa appeared in NBC’s camera shot, wearing the hat, as the network was conducting a postgame interview Sunday night with Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Isaac Guerendo,” Masked wrote in another post. “NFL rules say the league ‘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.'”
Bosa chose not to elaborate on his display during his postgame press conference.
“I’m not gonna talk too much about it,” Bosa told reporters. “But I think it’s an important time.”
A final decision on the matter will likely come this week, but it seems that Bosa will be facing a fine at worst.
