San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been fined $10,000 by the NFL for wearing Beats headphones by Dr Dre at a post-game press conference following this past Sunday's victory. This action has been taken as snubbing authority, as the NFL has just signed an exclusive agreement with Bose.

According to The Verge, Bose recently took over as the NFL's new headphone sponsor, and as part of that, the league is banning all other headphone brands from being televised during interviews. Beats has received a lot of wealth due to exposure from its celebrity athlete sponsors, and Bose's agreement with the NFL could signify a major loss in sales.

ESPN reports that Kaepernick's headphones were colored bright pink, purportedly in order to pay homage to Breast Cancer Awareness. Kaepernick has an endorsement deal with Beats, and has even appeared in one of its most memorable commercials. According to Yahoo Sports, Kaepernick appeared in the commercial with Aloe Blacc's song "The Man" playing in the background, and has since become the athlete most associated with the headphones.

When asked whether Beats will pay his $10,000 fine, Kaepernick responded, "I'm going to let that be unanswered."

News of the headphone ban has spread since it was announced last week, and the NFL took care to emphasize the rule as its own and not as one dictated by Bose. In a statement, the NFL commented, "The NFL has longstanding policies that prohibit branded exposure on field or during interviews unless authorized by the league," emphasizing that players are allowed to use equipment from other companies, but are required to cover up the logo.

Yahoo Sports reports that Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is also a spokesman for Beats, and wore the headphones before Monday night's game. As a result, it is likely that the NFL fined him as well.