What NFL Teams Don’t Have Cheerleaders?

Learn about the NFL teams that don’t have cheerleaders and why they don’t have them.

Introduction

All but eight of the NFL’s 32 teams have cheerleaders, but which ones don’t? Read on to find out which National Football League teams do not have dance squads on the sidelines.

The Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Green Bay Packers are among the most prominent NFL franchises without cheerleaders. Interestingly, these teams are also some of the most iconic and successful in the league.

Some of these team’s fans may be surprised to learn that their favorite squad doesn’t have cheerleaders. Others may be relieved, as some have argued that spectacle of cheerleaders on the sidelines is outdated and demeaning to women. Whatever your opinion, there’s no denying that cheerleaders add an extra element of excitement to NFL games.

NFL Teams without Cheerleaders

There are a few reasons why some NFL teams don’t have cheerleaders. One reason is that they feel cheerleaders are a distraction to the players and they want their players to focus on the game. Another reason is that they feel like cheerleaders aren’t needed and they are a waste of money. Some teams feel like they are outdated and other teams are just trying to be different.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills are one of five teams who don’t have cheerleaders, along with the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears. The decision not to have cheerleaders was reportedly made by then-owner Ralph Wilson.

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. They have also recorded more victories than any other NFL franchise.

Cleveland Browns

While most professional NFL teams have a squad of cheerleaders to lead fans in cheering on the team, there are a handful of teams that have chosen not to have cheerleaders. For some teams, it’s a matter of tradition – the Green Bay Packers, for example, are the only team in the NFL that doesn’t have cheerleaders, and they’ve never had them. For other teams, it’s a budgetary decision – it costs money to have a squad of cheerleaders, and some teams would rather use that money elsewhere.

The following NFL teams do not currently have cheerleaders:
-Cleveland Browns
-New York Giants
-Buffalo Bills
-Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are one of the few teams in the NFL without cheerleaders. The team has not had cheerleaders since the 1970s. Some fans have called for the team to bring back cheerleaders, while others believe that they are not necessary.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are the only team in the NFL that does not have cheerleaders. The decision to not have cheerleaders was made by former Packers head coach Vince Lombardi. He preferred to focus on football and didn’t want the distraction of cheerleaders. The Packers also don’t have a marching band, another tradition that Lombardi decided wasn’t necessary.

New York Giants

The New York Giants are currently the only team in the NFL without cheerleaders. While they have flirted with the idea in the past, they have yet to pull the trigger and add a squad to their game-day experience.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in 1933, the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC.

In 1946, the franchise was purchased by Art Rooney, who promoted his son Dan to president in 1975. Since assuming ownership of the team, the Rooney family has had an active impact on management and strategy, as well as having majority ownership of the team since time immemorial. The Steelers have won six Super Bowl titles, which is tied for the most in history with the New England Patriots; they have also played in more conference championship games (17) than any other NFL team. They currently hold all of these NFL records:
-Most Super Bowl wins (6)
-Most conference championship appearances (17)
-Most divisional championships (23)
-Most consecutive playoff appearances (9, tied with Dallas Cowboys)
-Most seasons with 10+ wins (15)

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are one of the few NFL teams that does not have cheerleaders. This is due to the team’s former owner, Edward DeBartolo Jr., who believed that cheerleaders were not appropriate for a family-oriented environment. Even though the 49ers do not have cheerleaders, they do have a dance team known as the Gold Rush.

Conclusion

So there you have it, the eight NFL teams that don’t have cheerleaders. As you can see, most of them are teams from the north, which makes sense given the cold weather. It’s also worth noting that all of these teams are in relatively small markets, which may play a role in their decision not to have cheerleaders.