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Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterNov 9, 2024, 04:25 PM ET
- Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner
TAMPA, Fla. — San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was fined $11,255 by the NFL for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat during a postgame interview last month, a league source told ESPN.
Bosa, after a victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 27, wore a white hat with “Make America Great Again” in yellow letters when he barged in on a postgame interview involving teammates George Kittle, Brock Purdy and Isaac Guerendo.
According to league rules, players are prohibited from displaying a personal message or non-sponsored branding “at any point throughout a game day when visible at the stadium and TV audience, including postgame interviews in the locker room or on the field.”
On Wednesday, Bosa said he knew a fine was possible but indicated he’d have no problem paying the tab.
“I haven’t got one yet, but if it comes, it comes,” Bosa said. “It was well worth it.”
After wearing the hat in support of former President Donald Trump’s candidacy during the postgame interview, Bosa made his way to the podium for his usual postgame session. When asked multiple times about his decision to wear the hat, Bosa declined to elaborate on his reasoning, saying, “I’m not going to talk too much about it, but I think it’s an important time.”
The 49ers had their bye after the win against the Cowboys. Bosa did not speak to media again until his usual Wednesday session, which followed Tuesday’s election, where Trump was declared the winner. On Wednesday, Bosa, who signed a five-year, $170 million extension in 2023, again declined to discuss his decision to wear the hat but noted that he had a “good time” watching the election coverage and stayed up for the results.
“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.”
