"Male cheerleaders have been part of previous Vikings teams and have long been associated with collegiate and professional cheerleading," the team told NBC News.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) on Tuesday criticized the NFL and the Minnesota Vikings over their inclusion of male cheerleaders.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) says that if NFL teams in the South decide to follow the Minnesota Vikings’ lead and hire male cheerleaders, they’re going to have a “huge problem.”