Updated on: Aug 13, 2025 08:48 am IST
Minnesota Vikings added 2 male cheerleaders for 2025: Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn. Here are the 11 other NFL teams also featuring male cheerleaders this season.
With the NFL regular season just three weeks away, excitement is building across the league. While preseason games are keeping fans engaged, an off-field development involving the Minnesota Vikings has stirred a mix of praise and backlash, even prompting boycott calls from some fans.
Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn – The two Minnesota Vikings male cheerleaders for 2025.(Instagram/ Blaize Shiek)
This week, the Vikings announced that two male cheerleaders have joined the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders (MVC) for the 2025 season.
“The Minnesota #Vikings Cheerleaders have two male cheerleaders for the 2025 season,” ML Football shared on X. “The team announced Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn have joined their dancing squad for the season.”
Fan Reactions
While many praised the move as a step forward for inclusivity and representation in the NFL, others expressed frustration, with some even threatening to cancel season tickets or boycott the team.
“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,” one fan wrote.
Another added, “The Minnesota Vikings has a man as their new lead cheerleader. As if you needed another reason to avoid the NFL and Minnesota.”
A third person commented, “Just don’t watch the NFL and they’ll have no choice but to change. I stopped watching after the Kaepernick debacle and have never watched it ever again. I love football, but I love my principles more.”
Also Read: NFL preseason riddled with injuries. Here are latest updates – from Rondale Moore to Jordan Love
Not Just the Vikings: 12 NFL Teams Have Male Cheerleaders in 2025
The Vikings aren’t alone in adding men to their cheer squads. According to The Spun, 12 NFL teams will have male cheerleaders on the field this season, up from seven in 2024.
NFL Teams With Male Cheerleaders in 2025:
Minnesota Vikings
Baltimore Ravens
Los Angeles Rams
New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers
New England Patriots
Tennessee Titans
Indianapolis Colts
Kansas City Chiefs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Carolina Panthers
News / Sports / US Sports / Not just the Minnesota Vikings: 11 other NFL teams also have male cheerleaders in 2025
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