Did Blaize Shiek, Vikings' male cheerleader, quit amid backlash? Here's the truth
Blaize Shiek, Minnesota Vikings' male cheerleader, is facing severe backlash on social media soon after the NFL franchise included him in the 2025-26 roster.
Blaize Shiek, the Minnesota Vikings' male cheerleader, is facing severe backlash on social media soon after the NFL franchise included him in the 2025-26 roster. Now, claims about him quitting his job have gone viral on social media. We fact-checked these reports.
Earlier this week, Outsports reported that a third of the NFL now boasts of male cheerleaders. The Los Angeles Rams reportedly have at least seven men on the squad, and the Minnesota Vikings have at least a couple.
The Vikings fanbase did not react to the reveal. Some said they are ‘canceling their tickets’.
“So you’re gonna cancel season tickets to your beloved football team because you’ll be distracted by one dude named Blaize in a T-shirt/pants cheering next to the other 32-36 women in full cheerleading uniforms?” one person slammed the trollers on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
{{/usCountry}}“So you’re gonna cancel season tickets to your beloved football team because you’ll be distracted by one dude named Blaize in a T-shirt/pants cheering next to the other 32-36 women in full cheerleading uniforms?” one person slammed the trollers on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
{{/usCountry}}Another person said they knew Blaize. “I'm from Minneapolis, after my father died we moved to Fargo, I'm a Fargo South High Grad. My good friends from FSH Philip & Becky Shiek their son Blaize Shiek is now a @Vikings cheerleader I am so happy for Blaize! I wish that I could see him perform at the Vikings opener! #Skol”
Did Blaize Shiek quit amid blacklash?
{{/usCountry}}Another person said they knew Blaize. “I'm from Minneapolis, after my father died we moved to Fargo, I'm a Fargo South High Grad. My good friends from FSH Philip & Becky Shiek their son Blaize Shiek is now a @Vikings cheerleader I am so happy for Blaize! I wish that I could see him perform at the Vikings opener! #Skol”
Did Blaize Shiek quit amid blacklash?
{{/usCountry}}A post about Shiek quitting went viral on Thursday.
{{/usCountry}}A post about Shiek quitting went viral on Thursday.
{{/usCountry}}“After facing harassment from many #Packers, #Bears, and #Lions fans Blaize McCarthy, JJ McCarthy’s brother, has QUIT the #Vikings cheer squad,” a handle, NFC North News, tweeted.
As per the post, he said: “I always dreamed of being a cheerleader for a professional sports team but I don’t want this controversy to distract my brother from his goals for this season with Minnesota. It breaks my heart forcing myself to quit a job I love, but I know it’s what I must do for my brother’s sake.”
We fact-checked the claim to find that there is no such statement from Blaize Shiek. In fact, the post misidentifies the Vikings cheerleader as JJ McCarthy's brother.
