Do NFL cheerleaders deserve better pay?
One prominent Denver Broncos cheerleader is going viral on social media, after revealing her second job. The Denver Broncos cheerleader works as a cheerleader during the weekend and a registered nurse during the week. It’s a hectic, busy life, but it’s required, considering how little she makes as an NFL cheerleader.
Ann-Marie Muscarello cannot afford to support herself as an NFL cheerleader. So, she has to have a second job. Many other cheerleaders are in similar spots. They work as school teachers, fitness instructors, nurses, finance professionals, marketing influencers and more.
“Sunday mornings vs. Monday mornings look a little different 👩🏽⚕️📣✨☕️,” the cheerleader wrote.
Another NFL cheerleader shared: “There are so many of these stories. We deserve to be paid much, much more.”
NFL fans ‘demanding’ better pay for cheerleaders
NFL fans are taking to social media to “demand” better pay for the league’s cheerleaders, many of which only make a few hundred dollars per game.
Fans are saddened by how little cheerleaders make.
“With the money the NFL makes, they should pay you more,” one fan wrote.
“How do you keep up with it all?!” another fan said.
“That’s sad. They should pay these cheerleaders enough money they work hard too,” another user added.
“Dang bet you’re way too busy 😂” someone added on Instagram.
“Love your double life! You are inspiring and motivating to young women everywhere!!” another commented.
Another NFL fan weighed in with more.
“The Broncos are worth $6.55 billion. Their cheerleaders, like most in the league, are independent contractors paid an hourly rate for practice and a flat fee on game day. Across the NFL that works out to roughly $22,500 a year. The median registered nurse makes $97,550. So the framing is backwards. Nursing is the career. Dancing for a multibillion dollar franchise is the thing she can only afford to do because nursing pays the rent. The one squad that broke the pattern proves the point. Dallas cheerleaders got a 400% raise in 2025, and it happened only after a Netflix docuseries showed millions of viewers what they were actually earning. Veterans there can now make $75 an hour,” Aakash Gupta shared.
Should NFL cheerleaders be paid more?
