After the San Francisco 49ers beat the Dallas Cowboys (30-24) on Oct. 27, the 49ers’ defensive end Nick Bosa videobombed his teammate and quarterback Brock Purdy’s postgame interview while proudly wearing and pointing to a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat, indisputably endorsing presidential candidate Donald Trump. In 2016, the NFL blacklisted former 49ers quarterback (2011-2016) Colin Kaepernick for sitting and kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality toward Black individuals. Yet, despite its policy limiting political messaging, the NFL has not acted against Bosa. The league’s silence on Bosa’s sentiment in comparison to its response to Kaepernick illustrates the clear double standard in the NFL, further propagating the anti-Black racism and bigotry that prevails within American football and the broader sports sphere.
In the 2016 NFL preseason, Kaepernick sat down during the Aug. 26 pre-game national anthem in protest of anti-Black policing. Kaepernick’s protests advanced to kneeling when the anthem was played, with 49ers safety Eric Reid soon joining him. Kaepernick received nationwide attention from proponents and critics alike. While former-president Barack Obama defended Kaepernick’s “constitutional right to make a statement,” 2016 president-elect Donald Trump denounced Kaepernick for his “lack of respect” for the American flag.
Kaepernick continued his protests and frequently spoke out in interviews about the debate around racism and patriotism. After the 2016 season ended, the 49ers had a 2–14 record, and Kaepernick opted out of the final year of his contract, instead entering the NFL free-agent market. However, no team offered to sign him. Kaepernick soon filed a formal grievance accusing NFL team owners of conspiring to keep him out of the league, which was resolved in February 2019; the settlement details have remained confidential. Kaepernick has not played on an NFL team since 2016.
While Kaepernick’s stance of anti-racism effectively ended his football career and resulted in him receiving countless death threats and hate messages online, Bosa has been commended for his endorsement of Trump. Users on X responded to clips of the interview with praise, including sentiments like “You gotta love it” and “We’re so fucking back.”
Just hours before Bosa appeared in the NBC interview, Trump had held one of his most racist, sexist, and vile rallies yet. Speaker Tony Hinchcliffe began the rally with slurs against Latinx and African-American individuals, David Rem called presidential candidate Kamala Harris “the antichrist,” and Sid Rosenburg attacked former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton with misogynistic rhetoric. Trump himself gave some of his most sinister anti-immigration remarks, calling for the death penalty against migrants who kill American citizens, with chants of “Send them back” resounding from the crowd.
For Bosa to endorse a candidate who is openly racist, misogynistic, and xenophobic should be considered an act of hate, especially considering the backlash Kaepernick received when he called for an end to anti-Black killings. At best, Bosa will be fined around $10,000 USD for his political statement. While Kaepernick was completely shunned from the NFL for his social activism efforts, Bosa will not face the same consequences and will be allowed to ‘practice his constitutional rights.’
Yet Bosa’s endorsement of Trump should come as no surprise given his own values. Bosa has long had a history of liking and following Instagram accounts featuring racist and homophobic language. During Kaepernick’s 2016 protests, Bosa called Kaepernick a “clown” on X. He has continuously commended former presidents Trump and Ronald Reagan, referring to them as the “greatest of all time.”
The NFL—administrators, players, coaches, and fans—cannot blacklist Kaepernick for a stance against racism and then commend Bosa for his hateful pro-Trump sentiments. Sport is not apolitical; rather, it chooses to platform racism and silence impactful dissent. The NFL’s racist double standard must be addressed.
