What NFL Teams Do Not Have Cheerleaders?

There are a few reasons why some NFL teams don’t have cheerleaders. Cost and logistics are among the most common reasons.

Introduction

In the National Football League (NFL), there are a total of 32 teams. Of those 32, only eight do not have cheerleaders. This may come as a surprise to some people because cheerleaders have become such an integral part of the game day experience. So, which NFL teams do not have cheerleaders?

The Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Pittsburgh Steelers are the eight teams in the league that do not have cheerleaders. There are a variety of reasons why each of these teams decided to forego having cheerleaders.

For some teams, like the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, it simply comes down to tradition. These are two of the oldest franchises in the NFL and they have never had cheerleaders. The organization and fan bases of these teams are resistant to change and see no need to add cheerleaders now.

Other franchises, like the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, cite financial reasons for not having cheerleaders. With both organizations embarking on multi-million dollar stadium renovations in recent years, they felt that adding a squad of cheerleaders was not a wise use of resources.

Interestingly enough, three of the four NFC North teams (Packers, Lions, Vikings) do not have cheerleaders while all four AFC North teams (Browns, Steelers, Bengals, Ravens) do. This is likely due in part to each division’s history and tradition as well as the market size of each team’s city/fan base.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are the only team in the NFL that does not have cheerleaders. The team has had a long history of not having cheerleaders, dating back to its time in Chicago. In recent years, the team has been approached about adding a cheerleading squad, but has opted not to do so.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl, and hold the NFL record for the most enshrinements in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the most retired jersey numbers. The Bears have also recorded more victories than any other NFL franchise.

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The Browns play their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium, which opened in 1999, with administrative offices and training facilities in Berea, Ohio. The Browns’ official colors are brown, orange, and white. They are unique among the 32 member franchises of the NFL in that they do not have cheerleaders.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have been a staple in the NFL since they were founded in 1960. The team has always been known for their fierce fans and competitive spirit. However, one thing the Cowboys are not known for is their cheerleaders.

The Dallas Cowboys do not have cheerleaders because the owner, Jerry Jones, believes that they are a distraction to the players and to the game. He has said that he does not want his players to be thinking about anything other than football when they are on the field.

Jones is not alone in his thinking. There are a number of other NFL owners who feel that cheerleaders are not appropriate for a professional football game. These owners believe that cheerleaders add an element of sexuality to the game that is not necessary or appropriate. As a result, these owners have chosen to not have cheerleaders on their respective teams.

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are one of six NFL teams that do not have cheerleaders. The others are the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Lions were the last team to add cheerleaders when they unveiled the Lionettes in 1957. However, the team discontinued the squad in 1988. There have been several attempts to bring back cheerleading to Detroit, but so far, all have failed.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are the only team in the NFL that does not have cheerleaders. The Packers have never had cheerleaders and they do not plan on adding any in the future.

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 season, the Colts have played their games in Lucas Oil Stadium. Previously, they played for over three decades (1984–2007) at the RCA Dome.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars are the only team in the NFL that does not have cheerleaders. It is unclear why they have never had cheerleaders, but it may be due to the owner’s preference or because they cannot find enough women who meet their standards.

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are the only NFL team that does not have cheerleaders.

New York Giants

The New York Giants are one of eight NFL teams that do not have cheerleaders. The others are the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers.

New York Jets

The New York Jets are one of two NFL teams that does not have cheerleaders, the other being the Buffalo Bills. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that the Jets, like the Bills, are both members of the AFC East division of the NFL, and as such, they share a market with two other teams that have cheerleaders: the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins. This means that there is already a lot of competition for attention from fans in that market, and having cheerleaders would not give either team a significant advantage.

Another reason is that both the Jets and the Bills play in outdoor stadiums, which means that cheerleaders would only be able to perform during halftime or in between quarters. This would limit their exposure and impact, which is why most teams with outdoor stadiums do not have cheerleaders.

Finally, it should be noted that while the Jets do not have official cheerleaders, they do have an unofficial group of fans known as the “J-E-T-S Jets Fans!” who lead cheers and chants during games. This group provides some of the same functions as official cheerleaders, albeit in a less organized and professional manner.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the NFL teams that do not have cheerleaders. Some other teams without cheerleaders include the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers. While some fans may lament the lack of eye candy on the sidelines, these teams generally feel that cheerleaders are not in line with their brands. For example, the Packers have said that they do not believe that adding cheerleaders would enhance the fan experience at Lambeau Field.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the few NFL teams that does not have cheerleaders. The team does not feel that cheerleaders add anything to their game day experience and prefer to focus on the football game itself. This decision is relatively rare in the NFL, as most teams have some form of cheerleading squad.

San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers do not have cheerleaders.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are the only team in the NFL that does not have cheerleaders. They have had a few dance squads over the years, but they have never had an official cheerleading squad.

Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams was the most recent team to have cheerleaders, with their last season being in the 2017-2018 season.

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its home games at M&T Bank Stadium and is headquartered in Owings Mills.

The Ravens were established in 1996, when Art Modell, who was then the owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced plans to relocate the franchise to Baltimore. In return for agreeing to move the team to Baltimore, Modell was allowed to take his entire organization with him, including head coach Bill Belichick and his entire staff, which he promptly did. As part of a settlement between Modell, the city of Cleveland, and the NFL,Modell was required to leave the Browns’ name and colors behind; he chose instead to rename his franchise after Poe’s famous poem “The Raven.”

The Ravens have appeared in two Super Bowls since their formation: winning Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 and losing Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. They are also one of only two AFC teams (along with the Pittsburgh Steelers) that has never lost a playoff game at home; they are 5–0 at M&T Bank Stadium in such games.

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in Buffalo, New York. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays their home games at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills are the only team that does not have cheerleaders.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are the only team in the AFC North Division that does not have cheerleaders.

Conclusion

As of the 2020-2021 NFL season, there are six teams who do not have cheerleaders. They are the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers.