NFL Waited for Trump Win to Fine Nick Bosa for MAGA Hat

On Oct. 27, 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa crashed his teammates’ postgame NBC interview wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, violating league rules against displaying a personal message on game day.

Bosa knew he could be fined for the move, but he didn’t immediately receive a punishment. “I haven’t got one yet, but if it comes, it comes,” Bosa said last Wednesday. “It was well worth it.”

A few days later, the league laid down its $11,255 punishment, a small nuisance for its highest-paid defensive player, making $34 million per year.

The timing was intentional, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. Usually, the league is swift to lay down this kind of fine, but the NFL waited until after the election to avoid the appearance of making a statement about a presidential candidate, the Journal reported.

Donald Trump loudly criticized the NFL in 2017 for its handling of players kneeling during the national anthem; around the same time, Bosa called Colin Kaepernick a “clown,” which he apologized for when the 49ers drafted him in 2019.

After Trump was elected president for the second time last week, Bosa was asked about the hat again.

“I don’t think my position on speaking about it is going to change,” Bosa said. “Clearly, the nation spoke. And we got what we got.”

That’s about as much as Bosa has been willing to say about Trump during this election season despite his long-standing support. When asked about the hat last month, all he would say was “I’m not going to talk too much about it, but I think it’s an important time.”