Secrets of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Unveiled: Pay, Injuries, Nutrition, Hairstyles, Makeup, and More.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have many reasons to be proud of the football team, regardless of what happens on the field this season. The DCC (who make their season debut when the Cowboys host the New York Giants on September 14 at AT&T Stadium) will be jumping around to the tune of a historic 400-percent pay increase as the 2025 NFL season begins on September 4 with the Cowboys playing the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
In June, the second season of the Netflix documentary series America's Sweethearts was shown, revealing what former cheerleader Jada McLean described as a "life-changing" increase in pay.
McLean told the New York Times that seasoned DCC members like herself, who earned $15 per hour in 2024, might earn up to $75 per hour this season, plus $500 for each appearance outside of games, because to the pay increase.
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After the previous season, veteran Megan McElany made the same decision as McLean: to pack up her pompoms. The 25-year-old, however, stated on the show, "I love the fact that I made change for the girls coming up behind me, even if I do not get the chance to benefit." She worked as a marketing/recruiting coordinator throughout her time with the squad.
Kelli Finglass, the director of DCC, told Decider in June that she was "very proud" of the team's accomplishments, adding, "The entire organization wants to make sure they feel valued."
Since its founding in 1961, joining this revered organization has been a dream for countless women in the heart of Texas and beyond, even though it was no secret that NFL cheerleaders' take-home pay has historically been incredibly low given how iconic teams like the DCC are.
The members of this legendary sisterhood are aware of what they are getting into, even though it has always required them to follow numerous guidelines, adhere to strict standards, and push their bodies to the maximum.
"It's physically demanding, mentally tough." In May, Kennedy Hannan, returning for her second season, disclosed, "and just knowing that you get to do it alongside incredible women that are doing the same exact thing, it really pushes you to the end."
And the DCC has already achieved unprecedented heights, regardless of whether the Cowboys break their 29-year Super Bowl drought this season.
