Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Baltimore Colts became the first National Football League team to field a cheerleading squad in 1954. This move transformed how fans experienced games on the sidelines of American football before that year no professional football franchise employed women to dance and chant during matches.
Only the New York Giants have never had a cheerleading group throughout their entire history. Other franchises like the Chicago Bears or Cleveland Browns once had squads before discontinuing them while the Green Bay Packers utilize collegiate squads from University of Wisconsin, Green Bay and St. Norbert College instead of professional dancers since 1987.
Justine Lindsay became the first openly transgender person to join an NFL squad when she entered the Carolina Topcats in March 2022. The Minnesota Vikings faced national backlash in August 2025 after introducing two new male cheerleaders during preseason games following earlier changes to rosters.
The first Battle of the NFL Cheerleaders took place in Hollywood, Florida, during 1979. Two members from each team competed against mini-teams in events like kayaking, swimming, and jet skiing with winners Shiona Baum and Jeannie Fritz receiving cars as grand prizes when the event moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1980.
These injustices regarding pay and employment treatment gained national attention through the 2019 documentary film titled A Woman's Work: The NFL's Cheerleader Problem. Several cheerleaders sued their respective teams over violations of minimum wage laws and mistreatment from management including sexual harassment claims and groping incidents documented across multiple franchises.