NFL cheerleader shares shocking double life as fans question eye-opening reality of how much they are paid

NFL fans are seeing the financial realities of the league’s cheerleaders after one shared insight into her double life on social media. 

Ann-Marie Muscarello is part of the Denver Broncos cheerleading squad, preparing for the start of the new 2026 season. 

But her commitments on the team are balanced by her day job as a registered nurse. She shared a social media post captioned: ‘Sunday mornings vs. Monday mornings look a little different.’

She showcased the contrast between her cheerleading work at the weekend and her life in healthcare during the week, much to the surprise of many fans, who took to the comments section admiring her and questioning why NFL cheerleaders are not paid more. 

The post laid bare the realities of chasing the dream of being an NFL cheerleader on top of normal life. 

Ann-Marie is listed as a third-year member of the Broncos cheer team on their website. Her teammates have a number of different occupations including a speech and language pathologist, kindergarten teacher, commercial real estate broker and many more. 

Broncos cheerleaders are hired as part-time employees and paid competitive wages, per the New York Post. 

Cheerleaders around the league are independent contractors meaning their pay differs between franchises.

But their relatively low pay has been widely reported, with the Associated Press claiming in 2015 that cheer squads made less than fast food workers while a Jets cheerleader sued the team in 2014 over a $3.77 hourly rate. 

It is widely reported that cheerleaders are generally paid an hourly rate then a flat fee for game days, reported to be an average of $150 per game. 

Other appearances often pay around $50-$75 in a flat rate, and estimates have said it all adds up to around $22,500 per year. For context, an average registered nurse takes in about $97,550 per year. 

The Netflix documentary series ‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ put the issue of their pay back into the spotlight.

Ahead of season two, the squad secured a massive pay increase as they cashed-in on the show’s popularity.  

Four-year veteran Megan McElaney broke the news on camera. ‘Our efforts were heard and they wanted to give us a raise,’ she said. ‘And we ended up getting a 400% increase, which is like, life-changing.’

But for cheerleaders across the league, working a normal job then balancing cheer commitments on top is part of the sacrifice of being on the sidelines when the new season rolls around.