San Francisco 49ers star defensive end Nick Bosa faces punishment from the NFL for wearing a Donald Trump “Make America Great Again” hat after Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys.
NBC’s Melissa Starks interviewed 49ers tight end George Kittle, running back Isaac Guerendo and quarterback Brock Purdy after their 30-24 win over the rival Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football.” While Stark was speaking to Purdy, Nick Bosa crashed the interview to show off his MAGA hat before running off:
Bosa’s gesture, being a political move and all a week before the U.S. presidential election, received widespread praise and criticism. But unfortunately for the star defensive end, a fine is likely on the way.
As pointed out by Alex Simon of SFGate, Nick Bosa is likely to face punishment from the league for violating their rules on donning an item that carries a personal message:
“Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8 of the NFL rulebook says that the entire time a player is “visible to the stadium and television audience,” including during pregame warmups and in postgame interviews both on the field and in the locker room, they 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.”
Simon cited a recent example involving Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver George Pickens. During a Sunday night game against the Dallas Cowboys earlier this year, he wore eyeblack that read, “Open f**king always,” which led to a $10,231 fine.
Nick Bosa has been vocal about his support for Trump, who’s running against Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump aims to become just the second president to serve two non-consecutive terms, a feat accomplished only by Grover Cleveland.
The 2024 election will be held next Tuesday.
Nick Bosa Is Having Another Excellent Season For 49ers
The 49ers have been marred by injuries this season, a key reason behind their disappointing 4-4 start. But the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year has been a rock for Kyle Shanahan’s squad on the defensive side of the ball.Bosa has 4.5 sacks in eight games, putting him on pace to hit double-digits for the fourth straight year. His 49ers are on a much-needed bye week, and then they’ll return to action to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Week 10.
