Overview
- This week a video from Denver Broncos cheerleader Ann‑Marie Muscarello showed her weekend role on the sidelines and her weekday job as an orthopedic nurse, drawing wide social‑media attention.
- Viewers split sharply, with many urging higher pay for cheerleaders and others saying the role is unnecessary, producing a fast and polarized online reaction.
- Reporting notes that most NFL cheerleaders are paid an hourly rate for practice plus a flat game fee—news summaries use roughly $150 per game and practice pay to estimate about $22,500 a year for typical squads.
- Teams set cheerleader pay because squads are hired as independent contractors by franchises, so broader raises depend on more clubs following the Dallas Cowboys’ 2025 pay increases rather than an NFL‑wide policy.
- The story builds on past reporting and litigation showing longstanding low wages and on the 2024 Netflix documentary that helped push the Cowboys’ raise, while some cheerleaders have leveraged exposure into other careers such as Broadway roles.