NFL Teams Stand By Male Cheerleaders as Online Backlash Continues

What some call a culture-war flashpoint is, in fact, years of NFL teams quietly using male cheerleaders alongside women.

Story Snapshot

Multiple NFL teams now roster male cheerleaders as dancers and stunt performers.
The Los Angeles Rams first fielded male dancers in 2018; they performed at Super Bowl LIII.
Recent counts list around 11 teams with men on cheer squads, though totals vary by source.
Backlash on social media continues, but teams have kept mixed-gender squads in place.

What Prompted The Latest Wave Of Debate

Team videos featuring male cheerleaders sparked online backlash during the 2025 season. Commenters called the additions “embarrassing” and claimed they would quit on teams. News coverage highlighted the Minnesota Vikings as a focal point. The club answered by standing behind its dancers. The uproar looked big because social platforms amplify sharp takes fast. Still, the teams did not reverse course and kept the performers on their rosters through the season.

The cycle fits a pattern in which game-day entertainment becomes a stand-in for larger fights over gender and tradition. Some critics said cheer squads should be all women. Others argued the issue was about style, not just men on the sideline. These takes traveled widely online, fueled by viral clips. Supporters countered that pro dance is athletic and that tryouts are open to all. The clash said more about identity debates than about football itself.

What Teams Actually Do On The Sidelines

Reporting shows mixed-gender cheer groups across a growing list of franchises. The Sporting News listed teams with men on 2025 rosters and described roles that include dance and stunts. Some squads classify men as stunt performers to lift and base pyramids. Others place men in the dance line. A later count pegged the total number of teams around eleven, which shows the practice is spread but not universal. Exact numbers change as rosters update each season.

The shift did not appear overnight. In 2018, the Los Angeles Rams added two male dancers, Napoleon Jinnies and Quinton Peron. They went on to perform at Super Bowl LIII, marking a visible milestone for the league. That moment signaled that mixed-gender cheer squads could stand on the sport’s biggest stage. It also showed that teams viewed male dancers as part of the entertainment product, not a one-off stunt for attention.

How We Got Here: Tryouts, Roles, And Rationale

Coverage of the Rams’ decision said auditions were open to everyone and that the two men who made the team were trained dancers who showed up and earned spots. That detail points to a simple driver: open tryouts lead to more varied rosters. Other teams followed with their own versions, adding men where the role fit their routines. The mix of dancers and stunt specialists reflects the physical demands of lifts, tosses, and partner work on the field.

Outside observers sometimes treat “cheerleader,” “dancer,” and “stunt performer” as the same job. Teams use these terms differently. That muddles public debate about what men actually do on the sideline. Some men dance. Some base stunts. Some do both. This gap in language helps fuel claims that the role is new or politicized when, in practice, it looks like staffing for a show that blends dance and acrobatics. Clearer labels from teams would reduce confusion.

Why The Reactions Feel So Intense

Anger online can make a niche view look like a mass revolt. Headlines amplify the loudest posts and repeat the sharpest quotes. That creates the sense that the league is under siege over cheer squads. Yet teams have continued to field men season over season. That choice suggests clubs believe the performance value outweighs the noise. It also suggests that people still buy tickets for the game, not for who dances during timeouts.

Don't call me dear, Nick.

He's gay and feminine. So what?

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to become a cheerleader to begin with, and then manage to be selected to join an NFL cheer squad?

I most definitely wouldn't want a male in Miss America. And this ain't that.

— Caey Bari (@CaeyBari) September 1, 2026

The bigger worry from left and right is trust: fans think institutions dodge straight answers. Teams and the league rarely publish detailed rationale, policies, or roster criteria. That silence lets critics frame decisions as top-down edicts by distant elites. Clearer communication could reduce suspicion. Simple steps—posting audition rules, defining roles, and sharing performance goals—would show that roster choices are about skill, safety, and show quality, not about lecturing fans.