Minnesota Vikings face backlash after hiring male cheerleaders for 2025 NFL season: 'Dumbest move'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The Minnesota Vikings sparked a wave of online backlash after announcing that two male cheerleaders will join their dance squad for the 2025 NFL season. Many fans took to social media to express frustration over the decision. 

According to ML Football, Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn have officially joined the Vikings' cheer team, marking a notable shift in tradition. 

The Vikings will debut their updated squad on a major stage, facing the Chicago Bears on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, with kickoff set for 8:15 pm ET on Monday, Sept 8.

NFL teams will have male cheerleaders for 2025 season

The full list of NFL teams featuring male cheerleaders for the 2025 season has been released, highlighting a growing effort across the league to promote gender inclusivity. Cheerleaders play an essential role in the NFL, not just energizing crowds on game days, but also representing their teams at marketing events, public appearances, and community initiatives.

Today, 25 out of the 32 NFL teams maintain official cheer squads, underscoring how deeply rooted cheerleading has become in football culture.

According to a post on X from ML Football, the Minnesota Vikings are among several franchises welcoming male cheerleaders this season. They join fellow NFC teams, the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers.

The AFC is also represented, with the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, and Kansas City Chiefs rounding out the list. Altogether, more than a third of NFL teams now feature male cheerleaders on their rosters.

Notably, this isn't new; male cheerleaders have been part of college and professional football for years. Teams such as the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans include men on their squads, but these cheerleaders typically perform stunts rather than dance routines with pom-poms. 

The Carolina Panthers, for example, have made headlines by featuring Justine Lindsay, the NFL’s first openly transgender cheerleader, who continues to pave the way for greater inclusion.

Blaize Shek says he's excited for his 'rookie year'

One of the Minnesota Vikings' new male cheerleaders, Blaize Shiek, confirmed his spot on the team via Instagram back in May. 

He posted a photo of himself wearing a white Minnesota Vikings top, accompanied by a heartfelt caption, "Rookie Year 💜 Excited and honored to share that I am officially a 2025-26 Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader! I am so grateful for this journey, the support, and the opportunity to make a little history along the way. I hope to represent and inspire what’s possible when you stay true to who you are."

More recently, Shiek shared a short video clip featuring himself and fellow male cheerleader Louie Conn, both dressed in Vikings gear and smiling brightly, clearly excited to be part of the squad.

Internet sparks backlash over introduction of male cheerleaders

The introduction of male cheerleaders by an NFL team sparked significant backlash online, with many fans threatening to cancel their season tickets or boycott the team entirely.

One commenter wrote, “The Minnesota Vikings has a man as their new lead cheerleader. As if you needed another reason to avoid the NFL and Minnesota.”

Another added, “This might be the dumbest move in NFL history. First male captains of a cheer squad… and talk of an all-male cheerleading division? Yeah, something smells off here.”

A third simply said, “I’m done with this team.”

Conservative radio host Owen Shroyer also weighed in on X, writing, “Imagine you buy front row season football tickets and when you sit down there’s some man girating right in front of you.”

One posted, “No one wants this. The @NFL would be a better product if they just got rid of cheerleading.”

Another complained, “Men are taking women’s jobs again,” while someone else questioned, “Why does the NFL continue to give us reasons not to watch?"

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.