Will Nick Bosa be punished for MAGA hat display? What do NFL rules say about political statements?

On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Dallas Cowboys 30-24. After the game, the top performers - quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, and running back Isaac Guerendo - were being interviewed by Melissa Stark, but were interrupted by teammate Nick Bosa as he ran over and pointed at his own hat, which read “Make America Great Again”, the slogan of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The four of them were caught off guard. As Bosa ran up, Stark said “Hey!” and held the microphone to him, but he only pointed to the cap and ran off. Stark then said “All right, Nick Bosa with a message there” before continuing on with her post game questions for Purdy, Kittle, and Guerendo.

When asked about the move after the game, Bosa declined to comment further, saying only, “I‘m not gonna talk too much about it, but I think it’s an important time”.

Why Bosa’s political move could be punished by NFL

It is possible that Bosa could face punishment by the league for this move, as it might violate their policy on political statements. Here’s what the NFL rulebook says regarding political statements in Section 4, Article 8:

“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.”

“Further, any such approved items must be modest in size, tasteful, non-commercial, and non-controversial; must not be worn for more than one Football season; and if approved for use by a specific team, must not be worn by players on other teams in the League.”

This wouldn‘t be the first time Bosa has expressed his political leanings. He’s deleted conservative tweets in the past as well as referred to former Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a “clown” when he kneeled in protest during the national anthem in 2016, a term Trump coined for him.

If Bosa is determined to be in violation of the league’s personal message policy, he could face an $11,255 fine for a first offense ($16,883 for a second offense).