CINCINNATI, OHIO (RNS) The National Football League has rescinded a fine that had been levied against Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback Jon Kitna for wearing a baseball-style cap bearing the Christian cross.

The NFL had fined Kitna $5,000 for wearing unauthorized head gear too close to game time during a television interview. Kitna did not say why the NFL changed its mind.

The cap in question – a symbol of the Pro-Bowl quarterback’s devotion to Jesus – instantly became a cause celebre in mid-December, when like-minded fans throughout the Greater Cincinnati area showed their support by wearing caps similar to the Pro-Bowl quarterback’s.

The same day the NFL announced that Kitna had been named to the Pro Bowl team, it notified the Bengals management office that Kitna was in violation of a rule that required all merchandise worn by players or other team personnel must be approved and licensed by the football league. The cross cap was not a licensed item.