NFL Fined the 49ers' Nick Bosa for Political Headgear

Every professional sports league handles the on-field speech of its players differently. it isn’t an easy task; professional athletes are far from uniform in their beliefs — and that applies to often-contentious subjects like politics, religion and the environment. The NFL is one of the stricter leagues out there when it comes to these matters, and the latest player to run afoul of the league’s policies is 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa.

The NFL reports that it fined Bosa $11,255.00 for violating the league’s rules about wearing personal messages during a game. In this case, the offense came on October 27, when Bosa appeared for a post-game interview on the field wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.

What governs that which players can and cannot display on their person? According to the relevant rule, “players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration” unless the league has given its approval. The NFL had not approved Bosa’s choice of headgear, hence the fine.

Last year, Bosa signed a five-year contract extension worth $170 million, so presumably paying this fine is not exactly going to put a dent in his net worth. According to the Associated Press, Bosa recently stated that wearing the hat “was well worth it.”

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While Bosa’s pro-Donald Trump hat has gotten him plenty of attention, he isn’t the only NFL player to run afoul of the league’s messaging policies. Last month, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ George Pickens was fined $10,231.00 for displaying a profane message in his eye black during a game against the Dallas Cowboys. While Pickens isn’t as highly-paid as Bosa, his fine is also unlikely to sting all that much.