-
We’ve seen plenty of NFL mascots travel to the UK for the International Series
-
As well as being an icon for the team, the role of an NFL mascot is to energise the home crowd
-
28 of the 32 NFL teams have an official mascot
Mascots are part and parcel of the match day experience and that is no different when it comes to the National Football League.
As well as providing excellent marketing tools for each team, NFL mascots are tasked with hyping up the home crowd and adding a bit of fun to proceedings.
You won’t see mascots impacting NFL predictions but some have a bigger role than others, with some pulling pranks on the side-lines to keep fans engaged.
As of the 2021 NFL season, there are four teams without a mascot – the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, New York Jets & Washington Football Team.
Ranking the NFL mascots certainly isn't easy. Some receive more airtime than others so we've taken that into account when putting this list together.
Here, we look past NFL odds and debate the mascot situation across the league. Who is the best NFL mascot in the sport? Have your say at 888sport!
28) Raider Rusher – Las Vegas Raiders
Despite the illustrious history of the Raiders franchise, ‘Raider Rusher’ sits at the bottom of our NFL mascot rankings.
He’s not got that cute, appealing nature of the animal mascots and you’d struggle to find many NFL fans putting Raider Rusher up the list.
27) Sir Purr – Carolina Panthers
The Panthers website claims Sir Purr’s favourite snacks are “birds, like falcons and eagles and seahawks” but Carolina haven’t been feasting on those for a while.
Sir Purr looks softer than your average housecat and he hasn’t had much to smile about in recent seasons – though that may change under Matt Rhule.
26) Rowdy – Dallas Cowboys
Rowdy wouldn’t look out of place in Toy Story – though we’re not sure whether that is a compliment or not.
He has seen the Cowboys win Super Bowl titles in years gone by but it’s been a while since Dallas were challenging in the NFL showpiece.
25) Sir Saint – New Orleans Saints
The Saints organisation tried their best to create an iconic figure here but saints and mascots don’t really go hand-in-hand.
Again, some of the ‘person’ mascots just don’t quite go down as well as the animal outfits and Sir Saint is relatively forgettable compared to some of his rivals.
24) T.D. – Miami Dolphins
A forgettable character at the best of times, T.D. hasn’t had as much airtime in recent years as Miami have struggled to build momentum.
The Dolphins could do with a rebrand when it comes to their mascot – but perhaps that is wishful thinking on our part.
23) Freddie Falcon – Atlanta Falcons
What’s better than a nerdy-looking falcon? Well, plenty of NFL mascots rank above Freddie on this list so that tells you everything you need to know.
While he fits the falcon profile, he’s hardly intimidating and rival fans won’t be too scared of Freddie when they make the trip to Atlanta.
22) KC Wolf – Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs made the decision to steer clear of a potentially complicated ‘chief’ mascot and the KC Wolf name plays on the ultras fan group from Municipal Stadium.
KC Wolf is cool and casual but he doesn’t exactly strike fear in opponents. He has witnessed the Chiefs defy in play betting plenty of times over the years…
21) Roary – Detroit Lions
The Lions switched Roary’s appearance in recent times, with a more relaxed Lion taking over as the NFC North mascot.
Considering the team haven’t advanced past the Wildcard round of the playoffs since 1991, Roary usually only works between August and early January.
20) Poe – Baltimore Ravens
Is the Baltimore mascot *really* a raven? It looks more like a pelican if we’re being honest – and Poe is a pretty imposing figure.
The Ravens are a force to be reckoned with on the field but Poe ranks as a ‘middle of the road’ mascot.
19) Steely McBeam – Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers mascot is similar to the 49ers icon, with a huge smile on his face no matter the occasion. Win or lose, the Pittsburgh mascot will be smiling.
Mike Tomlin and Steely are on a first name basis, with both now part of the furniture at Heinz Field. Could we see a coaching change if the Steelers fall short?
18) Sourdough Sam – San Francisco 49ers
Like most NFL mascots, Sourdough Sam is a happy character – with a big beaming smile all across his face.
He took the relocation to Levi Stadium in his stride but it’s a little strange how he is named after a type of bread.
17) Toro – Houston Texans
The Texans mascot is a big, rangy bull and he sums that area of the United States up to a tee. In terms of a stereotypical Houston theme, the franchise have nailed it.
Houston have failed to inspire confidence so far this season – Toro is one of their brightest sparks right now… and that’s saying something.
16) Pat the Patriot – New England Patriots
Named after a former center for New England, Pat the Patriot is a funny figure. The cartoon drawing of the Patriots mascot is arguably a better representation…
Reminiscent of a Muppet character, Pat the Patriot can be found patrolling Gillette Stadium at New England home games and he is certainly easy to spot.
15) Jaxson De Ville – Jacksonville Jaguars
UK NFL fans have seen Jaxson at Wembley and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the Jaguars mascot often diving off the arena roof.
One of the most loveable mascots in the NFL, Jaxson is renowned for crazy stunts and general tomfoolery on the Jaguars touchline.
14) Blue – Indianapolis Colts
‘Blue’ is a real character at Lucas Oil Stadium, entertaining Colts fans before, during and after games.
The Indianapolis mascot is the epitome of a happy chappy though the form of the Colts on the pitch means Blue may be set for an early end to the campaign.
13) Captain Fear – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay went from Bucco Bruce to Captain Fear – arguably a slight downgrade when it comes to talking about NFL mascots across the league.
He isn’t the most imposing mascot around but the team more than make up for that on the field. After all, Captain Fear is a defending Super Bowl champion.
12) Rampage – Los Angeles Rams
The Rams mascot is intriguing – he looks like a cross between a tiger cub and a mythical creature.
While he isn’t the most memorable NFL mascot around, Rampage grabs your attention and is a safe mid-table pick on this list.
11) Who Dey – Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals mascot ticks all the right boxes, with the ‘Who Dey’ catchphrase synonymous with the franchise taking primary importance in the name.
Cincinnati fans will see Who Dey causing mischief around the ground, especially when local rivals Cleveland Browns visit The Jungle.
10) T-Rac – Tennessee Titans
The Titans have a raccoon as a mascot… Yes, you read that right: the Titans are represented by a raccoon.
With so many other plausible options, it’s surprising to see that Tennessee go for this option for their mascot. A random but cool choice.
9) Swoop – Philadelphia Eagles
Philly is a hostile environment at the best of times and Swoop is exactly what you’d look for in an Eagles mascot.
The NFC East giants are in a rebuild with Jalen Hurts at quarterback so Swoop may need to wait a while until his next appearance at a Super Bowl.
8) Blitz – Seattle Seahawks
We’ve seen a lot of Blitz during the Russell Wilson era and newer NFL fans will have seen the Seahawks mascot on more than one occasion.
With so much focus on atmosphere at CenturyLink Field, Blitz is tasked with hyping up the 12th Man at home fixtures – and he does it perfectly.
7) Viktor – Minnesota Vikings
If Viktor was a player, he’d be selected for random drug testing most weeks. He is built like a monster but the Minnesota mascot has a forced smile on his face.
Viktor is a solid representation of the Scandinavian theme yet he is unable to break into the bracket of top NFL mascots in this list.
6) Staley Da Bear – Chicago Bears
With the historical reference to Chicago’s original owner, Staley automatically earns a spot in the top 10 NFL mascots. Sorry Packers fans!
Hitting the Bears colour scheme and offering a perfect marketing opportunity, Staley da Bear is arguably the most famous mascot in the league.
5) Billy Buffalo – Buffalo Bills
With some of the highest paid NFL players around, Billy Buffalo could be in for an exciting year. Josh Allen may be the quarterback to take the Bills to the Super Bowl…
Billy Buffalo is a monster. Yes, he is child-friendly but the Buffalo strikes fear in his rivals. The name isn’t exciting in the slightest but Billy is a top tier NFL mascot.
4) Bolt Man – Los Angeles Chargers
Bolt Man has been with the Chargers since their San Diego days and he has been a huge hit on the SoFi Stadium touchline.
Could we see the Bolt Man parading after the Chargers join the Super Bowl winners list? Only time will tell – he’s certainly one of the better NFL mascots around.
3) Miles – Denver Broncos
Always smiling, always happy and always excited – Miles is happiest when the Broncos are making plays on defence and scoring touchdowns on offence.
While his fluffy tail makes him look more cute than tough, the Broncos mascot is generally regarded as one of the elite NFL icons.
2) Chomps – Cleveland Browns
The Browns have one of the best mascots in the league and Chomps is a fan favourite at FirstEnergy Stadium – especially with the Dawg Pound faithful.
Let’s be serious, a dog mascot is the best kind of mascot. Yes, it’s a shame we’ve not seen him on the Super Bowl stage but we could be seeing more of Chomps soon…
1) Big Red – Arizona Cardinals
Big Red is one of our favourite NFL mascots – he is everything you want in a mascot. Fun, fierce and flashy and that is why he takes top spot in our NFL mascot rankings.
The Cardinals have one of the strongest teams in the league and Big Red is a mascot worthy of a successful franchise.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
