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.

Published on: Aug 15, 2025, 01:09:50 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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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.

Blaize Shiek will cheerlead for the Minnesota Vikings this season (Instagram)

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Blaize Shiek (@blaize_shiek)

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.

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?

A post about Shiek quitting went viral on Thursday.

“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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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