San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa wanted everyone to know he is still holding a grudge with now ex-ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark.
Bosa, who has not been shy about letting the world know he supports President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, tweeted for the first time in nearly four years after news that ESPN laid off Clark and others.
Bosa seemingly is still not a fan of Clark after the analyst pointed out in 2024 that Bosa did not receive equal criticism from media, like athletes such as Colin Kaepernick and LeBron James who were told to “shut up and dribble” did, for wearing a MAGA hat on the field to make a statement.
To let people know he was at least aware of Clark being let go by ESPN, Bosa used the “OK” emoji in a quote tweet that contained an article about the ESPN layoffs.
The fact that it was the first personal tweet from Bosa’s account since 2022 raised eyebrows.
Additionally, the OK emoji has become synonymous with white nationalist groups because it resembles the letters “W” and “P,” short for white power.
Back in October 2024, Bosa crashed his teammates’ postgame interview on live TV following a win and pointed to his MAGA hat.
Later that night in his own press conference after the game, Bosa, who had now removed his MAGA hat for a different cap, sidestepped a question about why he wore it, telling reporters, “I’m not gonna talk too much about it, but I think it’s an important time.”
Two days after Bosa wore the MAGA hat, Clark highlighted what he viewed as hypocrisy in the way Bosa was received compared to Black athletes who made political or social justice statements.
“The ‘“Shut up & dribble”’ mob hasn’t attacked Nick Bosa the way they did (Colin Kaepernick) and (LeBron James) when politics were brought into sports,” Clark wrote on X.
“(Nick Bosa’s) MAGA allegiance is no secret, & no one really cares. Still, it’s apparent that
crashing an interview with a MAGA hat was received differently than black athletes standing up for equality,” the post continued.
“Like never before, Partisanship now divides our country, & it’s clear where the ‘Great Again’ following stands. Any intentional, public, & flippant display of MAGA support is only done with reason. Especially for an athlete. It’s funny, yet not surprising that the “shut up” crowd has been silent. Guess it’s easier to deal with someone who thinks exactly like you.”
Clark spent over a decade at ESPN after playing 13 seasons in the NFL, while Bosa is entering his eighth NFL season with the 49ers in 2026.
Bosa played in just three games last season after tearing an ACL for the second time in his career.
