Cassidy Ritter, a cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles, has been selected by her teammates to represent the team at the 2026 Pro Bowl. Growing up in Central New Jersey, Ritter was inspired by her three older sisters to pursue dance and trained in various styles including ballet, tap, and jazz.
Ritter described her selection as a significant achievement. “This is the biggest honor that an NFL cheerleader could have,” she said. “Our team is talented in many different ways, whether that’s representing the organization as global brand ambassadors or performing in front of 70,000 fans. Additionally, we all have very impactful careers off the field. It’s just a complete honor to be able to represent us as a whole at the Pro Bowl.”
She also spoke about her connection to Philadelphia sports culture. “It’s difficult to put into words. I feel that growing up in New Jersey, especially Central Jersey, there are fans of several different teams, but I think Philadelphia is just so unique. Our fans are so passionate. The energy on gameday is just unimaginable. It’s truly electric. I plan to bring that unmatched passion with me to San Francisco for the Pro Bowl games.”
Now in her third year with the Eagles and second as captain, Ritter began last year participating in the NFL’s first game in South America and finished it celebrating the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory.
Outside of cheerleading, Ritter holds degrees from Rutgers University in Psychology and Elementary Education/Special Education and works as a special education teacher in Sayreville, New Jersey—the same school she attended as a child.
“I truly get the best of both worlds, especially working with the Eagles Autism Foundation,” Ritter said. “Anytime that there’s an All-Abilities Clinic, I always make it a priority to be an instructor because it combines both of my passions.
“I’ve made relationships with many of the participants. Getting to serve the special needs community as both a cheerleader and a teacher is really special.”
Ritter noted that her involvement with both the Eagles and neurodiverse communities has led parents at her school to seek advice about resources like those offered by the Eagles Autism Foundation.
“It’s amazing, and now I feel like I have many parents at school questioning and inquiring more about it [like] how they can get involved as well, how they can involve their kids,” she said. “It’s just so nice because many times I hear parents be like, ‘Oh, I really want to get them involved in this or this activity, but I don’t know how they’re going to react, and I don’t know how they’ll respond, and I don’t know who the person that’s working with them, if they know how to handle them properly.’
“I feel Eagles Autism Foundation and the clinics and all of the amazing things that they do provide an outlet for these parents and these families where they can send their kids, and they can feel safe and they have the same opportunity as their neurotypical peers.”
