During a long, disappointing season, the Dallas Cowboys had to deal with a slew of injuries, hampering their ability to put on good performances.
It turns out that the injuries weren’t just limited to on-field personnel.
A member of the Cowboys’ famed crew of cheerleaders was the latest to get dinged up after she was hit in the back of the head by a ball while performing on the sideline during Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders.
The awkward situation occurred during the first half of the game on a kickoff by Brandon Aubrey. After hitting a 41-yard field goal to give the Cowboys a 6-0 lead, the all-pro kicker shanked his kickoff attempt, sending the ball far out of bounds.
A photographer leapt in an attempt to deflect the ball, but caused it to hit the cheerleader in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground.
The cheerleader, who later was identified as Michelle Siemienowski, quickly got back to her feet without assistance.
She was checked on by her fellow cheerleaders as well as Commanders punter Tress Way, who was standing near her on the sideline.
Siemienowski was later shown sitting and smiling as she collected herself and was checked on by what appeared to be a team doctor.
She later confirmed that she was OK, posting on her Instagram story: “I’m alright everyone “
The rookie cheerleader seemed to take the whole thing in stride, reposting multiple clips of the incident on her social media account with some jokes.
She also posted that she is “claiming the motto: cry now, laugh later” with two laughing emojis and a clip of her on the sideline.
Fans were quick to joke about the incident after it was revealed she wasn’t hurt.
One user on X replied to the post with a gif of the famous Brady Bunch scene in which Marsha gets hit in the face with a football.
Another wrote: “Breaking: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader has been ruled DOUBTFUL to return after entering the concussion protocol.”
“Well, it’s good that at least one member of the Cowboys organization is tough,” a third user commented.
Since joining the Cowboys last season, Aubrey has been one of the league’s best kickers. A former soccer player who had been a first-round pick by Toronto FC in 2017, Aubrey was second in the NFL with 40 field goals this season and had the longest make of 2024 with a 65-yarder. He was chosen to compete in the Pro Bowl next month.
As for the game, the Cowboys ended their season on a losing note, falling 23-19 to their playoff-bound division rival.