Which NFL Team Does Not Have Cheerleaders?

While most NFL teams have cheerleaders, there are a few that don’t. Learn about the teams that don’t have cheerleaders and the reasons why.

The NFL Teams without Cheerleaders

The NFL has had cheerleaders for decades, however there are a few teams that have recently decided to ditch their squads. This may be due to financial reasons or because the team feels that cheerleaders are not a necessary part of their game day experience. Let’s take a look at the teams that have decided to go without cheerleaders.

The Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are one of the few NFL teams without cheerleaders. The team has never had cheerleaders, and it does not seem likely that they will add any in the near future. Bengals’ owner Mike Brown has said that he does not believe cheerleaders are necessary or appropriate for a football game.

The Bengals are not the only team without cheerleaders; the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears also do not have cheerleaders. These teams generally cite the same reasons as the Bengals for why they do not have cheerleaders.

The Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are the only NFL team without cheerleaders. Although they had a short-lived group in the mid-1980s called the Cleveland Commissionaires, the team has never had an official squad. There are many reasons why the Browns have chosen not to have cheerleaders, but the most common reason cited is that they want to maintain a family-friendly environment at their games.

Other NFL teams without cheerleaders include the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers. These teams also cite a desire to create a more family-friendly atmosphere as the reason for not having cheerleaders.

The Pittsburgh Steelers

One of the most popular NFL teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers, does not have cheerleaders. This is due in part to the team’s owner, Art Rooney Sr., who believed that cheerleaders were not appropriate for a sports event. Rooney’s daughter, Kathleen, was a cheerleader for the Steelers when they played in the Super Bowl in 1976, but she was not on the field with the other cheerleaders. Today, the Steelers do have a pep band that performs at their home games.

Reasons for the Lack of Cheerleaders

The Buffalo Bills are the only team in the NFL without cheerleaders. This is due to a variety of reasons. One reason is that the Buffalo Bills are the only team in the NFL that does not have a full-time cheerleading squad. The team’s owner, Terry Pegula, believes that cheerleaders are not necessary and that they take away from the game.

The History of the Teams

The first professional American football game was played in 1892, but it wasn’t until the 1930s that teams began to use cheerleaders. Throughout the 1940s, college squads performed at NFL games and by the 1950s, pro teams began to establish their own squads. Today, almost all NFL teams have cheerleaders except for a few. Here are the reasons why some NFL teams do not have cheerleaders.

The Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are the only remaining community-owned franchise in the NFL and are famous for their passionate fans. The team has never had cheerleaders and there are no plans to add a squad in the future. The Packers say that their fans are their cheerleaders and they see no need to add a professional squad.

The Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears also do not have cheerleaders and there is some speculation as to why this is. One theory is that since the Bears were established in 1919, they predate the advent of professional cheerleading squads. Another theory is that since the Bears play their home games at Soldier Field, which is also home to the Chicago Bulls of the NBA, there simply isn’t enough room for a squad on the sidelines. Whatever the reason, the Bears have never had cheerleaders and there are no plans to add a squad in the future.

The Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills used to have a professional cheerleading squad known as the Buffalo Jills. However, in 2014, the team discontinued its relationship with the Jills after allegations of sexual harassment and mistreatment by Bills executives came to light. The team has said that it has no plans to reestablish a professional cheerleading squad in the future.

The Fan Base

It’s no secret that the majority of NFL fans are male. In fact, according to a 2012 ESPN poll, 57 percent of respondents said they were NFL fans, and of that group, 83 percent identified as male. So it’s not surprising that many teams have chosen not to have cheerleaders, instead opting to focus on attracting and keeping the attention of their male fan base.

As former Baltimore Ravens cheerleader Courtney Lenz told the New York Times, “It’s assumed that since the overwhelming demographics of an NFL audience is male, they don’t want to see women on the sidelines. They want to see football players. They want to see men in tight uniforms. That’s what they’re paying attention to.”

Another reason some teams have chosen not to have cheerleaders is because of the cost involved in maintaining a squad. Keeping a team of cheerleaders fed, clothed and housed can be a significant expense for a franchise, and one that many team owners are not willing to incur.

And then there are the legal liabilities associated with having a squad of scantily-clad women on the sidelines. As former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Felicia Maltos told NPR in 2018, “When you put yourself in a situation where you’re wearing skimpy clothing and you’re dancing provocatively with team mascots in front of thousands — sometimes millions — of people… it creates this environment where people think it’s OK to sexualize us.”

Many cheerleaders have filed lawsuits against their teams over low pay and unfair working conditions, and as more and more stories about mistreatment come to light, it’s possible that even more teams will choose to forego having a cheerleading squad altogether.

The Location

There are a variety of reasons why an NFL team might not have cheerleaders. The most common reason is the location of the team. NFL teams that are located in colder climates tend not to have cheerleaders. This is because cheerleaders typically wear skimpy outfits, and it would be too cold for them to wear those outfits in cold weather games. Additionally, many of the older stadiums did not have the space to accommodate a cheering squad.

Other reasons for the lack of cheerleaders include the team’s image, budget concerns, and a desire to keep focused on the game. Some teams feel that having cheerleaders would be too distracting or that it would make the team look ‘girly.’ Others simply cannot afford to pay for a squad of cheerleaders. And still others believe that having cheerleaders takes away from the game itself and that fans should be focused on watching the game, not on cheering for dancers.

Reactions to the Lack of Cheerleaders

Many NFL fans were surprised to find out that some teams, like the Green Bay Packers, do not have cheerleaders. While some people think it’s unimportant, others believe that it takes away from the game-day experience. Let’s take a look at some of the reactions to the lack of cheerleaders on some NFL teams.

The Players

The 2017 season will be the first in a long time not to have cheerleaders on the sidelines for every NFL game. For some fans, this is a welcome change. For others, it’s a sign of the declining morals of the league. But for the players, it’s just another game day.

The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers are the only two teams without cheerleaders this season. That means that there will be no Pom-Poms or short skirts on the sidelines of Rams games at the Coliseum this year. And at 49ers games at Levi’s Stadium, fans will have to find other ways to get excited about first downs.

But while some fans may miss the eye candy, most players say they don’t even notice when there are no cheerleaders on the sidelines. “I don’t look at them,” linebacker Alec Ogletree said of the Rams cheerleaders. “I don’t pay attention to them. I look at our sideline and try to get everybody going.”

Indeed, for many players, cheerleaders are simply part of the background noise on game day. “It really doesn’t matter to me one way or another,” running back Todd Gurley said of having cheerleaders on the sideline. “They can be out there or they can not be out there and it really doesn’t affect how I play or how we play as a team.”

Of course, not all players feel that way. Some say that having cheerleaders on the sideline does make a difference – even if they can’t quite put their finger on why. “It definitely pumps you up more when they are out there,” wide receiver Tavon Austin said. “You definitely get more hyped up with them out there but we have great fans so they do a good job of getting us going too.”

The Coaches

The Arizona Cardinals and the Buffalo Bills are the only teams in the NFL without cheerleaders. This fact was brought to light in a recent New York Times article that featured an interview with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The article caused quite a stir, with many people wondering why these two teams do not have cheerleaders.

According to Goodell, the decision not to have cheerleaders is a decision that is made by each individual team. He went on to say that while some teams feel that cheerleaders are an important part of their game-day experience, other teams do not feel that they are necessary.

The Buffalo Bills have never had cheerleaders, and it does not appear that they are considering adding them any time soon. In fact, when asked about the possibility of adding cheerleaders, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that he is “fine with where we are at right now.”

The Arizona Cardinals also do not currently have cheerleaders, but they did have a squad from 1988-1995. The team has not had cheerleaders since then, and there is no indication that they are considering bringing them back.

The Fans

The fans are the most important part of any NFL team, and they play a vital role in creating an exciting and enjoyable game day experience. without cheerleaders, the game day experience would be significantly diminished. Fans want to see talented and beautiful women performing on the sidelines, and they enjoy the energy and excitement that cheerleaders bring to the game. In addition to the visual appeal, cheerleaders also add to the atmosphere by leading chants and cheers, and they help keep viewers engaged during lulls in the action on the field.