NFL franchises spend lots of time and effort making sure fans enjoy going to the game. Cheerleaders, food and beverage options, and half-time entertainment are all crucial parts of the gameday experience — though nothing whips a crowd into a frenzy like the mascot.
Nearly all NFL teams have some kind of large, padded anthropomorphic animal or costumed representative of the team’s name serving as the mascot. These mascots fire up the crowd, perform stunts, and make appearances throughout the local community. Some of the mascots look fun and friendly, while others have missed the mark and seem more frightening than fun.
To determine the NFL’s best and worst mascots, 24/7 Tempo created an index using scores and rankings of NFL mascots from sports news publishers like Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Bleacher Report, and more. These outlets ranked NFL mascots on criteria such as their perceived quality, appearance, and overall fan-friendliness.
The New Orleans Saints have two official mascots — Sir Saint and Gumbo. Only Sir Saint, originally used from 1967-1984 then revived in 2009, was considered as he was ranked on most of the lists. Some teams like the Ravens and Eagles have live animal mascots, but only their costumed mascots were considered.
Choosing a best or worst mascot is somewhat subjective. Fans are always going to have affection for their team’s mascot and dislike their opponent’s. Yet there is a general consensus from NFL fans about whether a mascot is cool or creepy. Humanoid mascots tend to rank poorly, as people seem to much prefer animal mascots — all but one of the top 12 mascots are animals.
Not every team has decided to employ a mascot. The New York Jets, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, and Washington Football team lack one of these fan-friendly representatives. For many years, the San Diego Chargers had Boltman — an unofficial mascot created by a superfan, but Boltman hung up his cape after the team moved to Los Angeles. These are the cities that have lost the most teams.
Click here to see the creepiest mascots in the NFL
27. Blitz
> Team: Seattle Seahawks
> Mascot since: 1998
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26. Jaxson De Ville
> Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
> Mascot since: 1996
25. Staley Da Bear
> Team: Chicago Bears
> Mascot since: 2003
24. Blue
> Team: Indianapolis Colts
> Mascot since: 2006
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23. Billy Buffalo
> Team: Buffalo Bills
> Mascot since: 2000
22. Swoop
> Team: Philadelphia Eagles
> Mascot since: 1996
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21. Viktor
> Team: Minnesota Vikings
> Mascot since: 2007
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20. KC Wolf
> Team: Kansas City Chiefs
> Mascot since: 1989
19. Miles
> Team: Denver Broncos
> Mascot since: 1999
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18. Chomps
> Team: Cleveland Browns
> Mascot since: late 2000s
17. Big Red
> Team: Arizona Cardinals
> Mascot since: 1998
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16. T-Rac
> Team: Tennessee Titans
> Mascot since: 1999
15. Pat the Patriot
> Team: New England Patriots
> Mascot since: 1995
14. Who Dey
> Team: Cincinnati Bengals
> Mascot since: “several decades” ago
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13. Poe
> Team: Baltimore Ravens
> Mascot since: 1998
12. Steely McBeam
> Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
> Mascot since: 2007
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11. Roary
> Team: Detroit Lions
> Mascot since: 1995
10. Toro
> Team: Houston Texans
> Mascot since: 2001
9. Sir Saint
> Team: New Orleans Saints
> Mascot since: 1967-1984, 2009
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8. Freddie Falcon
> Team: Atlanta Falcons
> Mascot since: Mid 1980s
7. T.D.
> Team: Miami Dolphins
> Mascot since: 1997
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6. Sourdough Sam
> Team: San Francisco 49ers
> Mascot since: 1994
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5. Rampage
> Team: Los Angeles Rams
> Mascot since: 2010
4. Rowdy
> Team: Dallas Cowboys
> Mascot since: 1996
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3. Sir Purr
> Team: Carolina Panthers
> Mascot since: 1995
2. Captain Fear
> Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
> Mascot since: 2000
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1. Raider Rusher
> Team: Las Vegas Raiders
> Mascot since: 2013
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