Advertisement
Filters
Map
List

Freddy Falcon, Sir Purr and a bunch of huge-headed dudes: A definitive guide to NFL mascots

A streaking cat.

A zipping wolf.

Lots of dudes with big heads — and even bigger chins.

A walking dolphin.

A butt-bouncing bear.

An elf.

There’s all kinds of wacky characters in the fraternity of NFL mascots, each with their own personality, quirks and charm. One thing every one of those anthropomorphic animals and fake humans have in common is their undying passion and devotion to the teams they represent.

Want to pay them a visit? You’re sure to get an enthusiastic welcome at each of their home stadiums.

Here’s a handy guide that can help get you there, with a little background on each furry friend so you’ll have something to talk about when you meet. (Conversations with team mascots do tend to be a little one-sided.)

Four teams — the Chargers, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and New York Jets — do not have mascots, but they are included on the list, so you can check out one of their games as well.

Showing  Places
Arizona Cardinals mascot Big Red runs on the field prior to an NFL football game
(Ralph Freso / Associated Press)

Big Red

Arizona Cardinals
Home: State Farm Stadium
The franchise had been around a full century before its only mascot hatched in 1998. The 6-foot-4 bird with a 7-foot wingspan has told some harrowing (and not-at-all made up) tales involving hungry tailgaters at the oven-like Sun Devil Stadium, where he spent his first eight years. He’s determined to “protect the nest” from rival mascots at all costs.
Route Details
The Atlanta Falcons mascot Freddie Falcon holds a Union flag after an NFL football game
(Steve Luciano / Associated Press)

Freddie Falcon

Atlanta Falcons
Home: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
He does a lot of great work in the community and provides family-friendly entertainment. A bit of advice, though: Don’t mess with Freddie Falcon. Just ask the Bucs fan who infiltrated the field during a 2016 game. Or the youth football player who was part of an incident last season that may or may not have been staged. The oversized bird has been known to zipline into the stadium while hanging from his ankles. Need we say more?
Route Details
The Baltimore Ravens mascot Poe performs during pre-game warm-ups
(Terrance Williams / Associated Press)

Poe

Baltimore Ravens
Home: M&T Stadium
This is one tough bird. Poe was declared out for the year after suffering a legitimate leg injury while playing against a youth football team during the 2022 preseason, only to make a triumphant, WWE-style return for a January game against AFC North rival Pittsburgh. According to his official bio, Poe is a fitness buff who loves protein shakes and lists “people doing curls in the squat rack” as a pet peeve.
Route Details
Buffalo Bills mascot Billy Buffalo poses while the Bills play against the New York Jets
(Jeff Lewis / Associated Press)

Billy Buffalo

Buffalo Bills
Home: Highmark Stadium
Billy Buffalo was once an imposing figure — 8 feet tall, ripped and fierce. But before his 19th season in 2018, the blue bison underwent what the team described as a “makeover.” Now listed as 7-foot-2, he’s pudgy and ... well, cute. Fans in Buffalo were outraged over the transformation at the time, but the kinder, gentler Billy is still around, wearing his “BB” jersey and enjoying a plate of wings with (of course) blue cheese.
Route Details
Advertisement
Carolina Panthers Sir Purr entertains the crowd during an NFL football game
(Brian Westerholt / Associated Press)

Sir Purr

Carolina Panthers
Home: Bank of America Stadium
First of all, he’s a panther, not a bear. That might seem pretty obvious given the team’s nickname, but it wasn’t to then-Carolina receiver Robby Anderson in 2020. At least Sir Purr has a sense of humor; he references the blunder in his Twitter display name and Instagram bio. He averages a league-best 451 hugs a game, according to his bio, and is likely the only mascot to have attempted to field a punt during an actual game.
Route Details
The Chicago Bears mascot Staley Da Bear during the second half of an NFL football game
(Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press)

Staley Da Bear

Chicago Bears
Home: Soldier Field
This bear, whose name references both original franchise — the Decatur Staleys — and a classic “SNL” skit, is celebrating his 20th season in 2023. Staley holds the team record for longest butt bounce (40 yards) and has been known to visit newborn babies at area hospitals. Surely it’s not at all terrifying for them to open their eyes for the first time and see a creature whose height is listed as “Tall” and weight as “Heavier Than You!”
Route Details
Cincinnati Bengals mascot Who Dey celebrates a touchdown during an NFL football game
(Emilee Chinn / Associated Press)

Who Dey

Cincinnati Bengals
Home: Paycor Stadium
The only NFL mascot whose name doubles as a catch phrase chanted by the team’s faithful, Who Dey tends to take it hard when the Bengals struggle. Lucky for him, that hasn’t happened much in recent years. A thoughtful gift-giver, he once gave Joe Burrow a book of things to do in Cincinnati after the franchise quarterback was quoted as saying, “There’s not a ton to do” in the city, and Ja’Marr Chase an Uno card game to match the star receiver’s jersey number.
Route Details
Cleveland Browns mascot Brownie the Elf walks on the field
(David Richard / Associated Press)

Brownie the Elf

Cleveland Browns
Home: Cleveland Browns Stadium
After becoming the first official Browns mascot all the way back in 1946, Brownie has seen his relevance fluctuate over the decades, in part because one-time owner Art Modell was known to loathe the bizarre creature. Although he still shares the spotlight with fellow mascot Chomps the dog, Brownie received a huge nod of approval from Cleveland fans last year when they voted to make his likeness the stadium’s midfield logo.
Route Details
Advertisement
Dallas Cowboys mascot, Rowdy, interacts with fans during a preseason NFL football game
(Ron Jenkins / Associated Press)

Rowdy

Dallas Cowboys
Home: AT&T Stadium
The oversized hat. The boots. The chaps. The royal blue bandana. Rowdy is a cowboy through and through. He also wears wide receiver gloves and puts them to good use. An Instagram video from 2023 training camp shows him making one-handed catches with such ease that some fans suspected it was actually Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb in disguise. The mascot isn’t quite as skilled at fielding punts though, as displayed in another video from camp.
Route Details
Denver Broncos mascot Miles cheers against the Indianapolis Colts
(Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)

Miles

Denver Broncos
Home: Empower Field at Mile High
Born in the Rocky Mountains on Jan. 31, 1999 — the same night John Elway led the Broncos to a second consecutive Super Bowl victory — Miles was raised by a pack of wild horses, who just happened to be huge fans of Denver’s NFL franchise, and eventually became the team’s mascot. These days, he can be found crowd-surfing at Mile High, leading cheers from atop the stadium’s giant video screen and planning office parties (not one of his strong points).
Route Details
Roary, the Detroit Lions mascot rallies the crowd during the first half of an NFL football game
(Rick Osentoski / Associated Press)

Roary

Detroit Lions
Home: Ford Field
Roary may not be a real lion, which is a good thing because the NFL apparently frowns on live animals roaming the sidelines, as Detroit coach Dan Campbell learned during the offseason. But he does have an absolutely fantastic mane of hair. Unlike a lot of felines, though, Roary is apparently is a dog lover. He also is a great interview — even if he does answer most questions with enthusiastic hand claps and gestures.
Route Details
A Green Bay Packers fan tailgates before the start of an NFL football game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
(Mike Roemer / Associated Press)

The Packers don't have a mascot, but ...

Green Bay Packers
... maybe this fan at Lambeau Field wants the job.
Route Details
Advertisement
Houston Texans mascot Toro wearing a salute to service flight suit
(Matt Patterson / Associated Press)

Toro

Houston Texans
Home: NRG Stadium
Toro is the Ashton Kutcher of NFL mascots. He has punked everyone from opposing fans to Texans players, cheerleaders and office staff — and, of course, he’s documented it all with video on social media. Some of his favorite pranks are high in concept, such as the football on a string or the leaning tower of presents; others are pretty basic, like purposely bopping folks in the face with the pompom on his Santa hat or just startling the living daylights out of people.
Route Details
The Indianapolis Colts mascot during the NFL Pro Bowl Game
(Gregory Payan / Associated Press)

Blue

Indianapolis Colts
Home: Lucas Oil Stadium
This is your mom’s favorite mascot. We’re not sure if that’s true, but it’s the only information given in his TikTok bio. For someone who loves literally slapping people in the face with a whipped cream pie, Blue is well-respected in the mascot community. He’s one of only two NFL representatives in the Mascot Hall of Fame (KC Wolf of the Chiefs is the other) and was named by his peers as the 2023 NFL mascot of the year, the third time he’s won the honor.
Route Details
Jacksonville Jaguars mascot Jaxson De Ville runs on the field before an NFL football game
(Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press)

Jaxson de Ville

Jacksonville Jaguars
Home: TIAA Bank Field
This guy is crazy. He’s the reason the NFL has a rule prohibiting mascots from coming within 6 feet of the field or taunting the other team during games. He loves to fly around the stadium on a zipline bungee cord, even though he once got stuck hanging over the field by his feet. And who can forget the time in 2022 when Jaxson stripped off his frumpy, furry exterior and spent the entire game wearing nothing but his mascot head and a thong. Yikes!
Route Details
Kansas City Chiefs mascot KC Wolf motivates fans during the first half of the AFC championship NFL football game
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)

KC Wolf

Kansas City Chiefs
Home: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
The first NFL mascot to be inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame, KC Wolf can be tough when he needs to be; he’s been known to help security take down drunk fans on the field. But he also has a romantic side, and has assisted fans with at-game marriage proposals at least 150 times. Dan Meers, the man who has played KC for more than 30 years, nearly died on the job in 2013 when he fell 75 feet into the top-deck seats while practicing a stunt.
Route Details
Advertisement
The Oakland Raiders mascot poses for pictures as fans interact during NFL football's Fan Fest at Zocalo Square
(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)

Raider Rusher

Las Vegas Raiders
Home: Allegient Stadium
When he made his debut in 2013, the Raider Rusher had an odd, somewhat frightening appearance: no torso, only arms and legs sprouting out of an enormous head. These days, he’s possibly the most normal looking of all the costumed ambassadors of NFL teams — just a slightly oversized human in Raiders gear with the only weirdness being the fact that his eyebrows can somehow be seen through his mask.
Route Details
A Charger fan dresses in all white, like a bolt of lightning
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The Chargers don't have a mascot, but ...

Inglewood L.A. Chargers
... maybe this fan at SoFi Stadium wants the job.
Route Details
The Los Angeles Rams mascot stands on the sidelines
(Denis Poroy / Associated Press)

Rampage

Inglewood L.A. Rams
Home: SoFi Stadium
He may have joined the Rams back in St. Louis, replacing the strange and short-lived Ramster, but Rampage fits in here in Los Angeles. He’s got a sweet ride, has an amazing wardrobe, knows all the hip handshakes and has the coolest friends. More fun facts: He’s pretty darn good at the Ping Pong bounce challenge; he once claimed to be the only NFL mascot who does backflips; and he’s always up for a rousing game of Jenga, pat-a-cake or rock-paper-scissors.
Route Details
Miami Dolphins mascot T.D. gestures as he runs onto the field
(Doug Murray / Associated Press)

T.D.

Miami Dolphins
Home: Hard Rock Stadium
For a couple years in the 1960s, Miami’s football team would transport a real dolphin from the city’s aquarium to the Orange Bowl on game days. The 1994 movie “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” portrayed the team having an actual sea creature in the same role. But since 1997, the team’s mascot has been a two-legged mammal who walks around on dry land wearing a Dolphins uniform with a helmet way too small for his head.
Route Details
Advertisement
Minnesota Vikings' mascot Viktor cheers on the sideline
(Charlie Neibergall / Associated Press)

Viktor the Viking

Minnesota Vikings
Home: U.S. Bank Stadium
Viktor may have the most detailed backstory of any NFL mascot. Apparently he was a great Viking from the Middle Ages who somehow became the recipient of Thor’s mighty hammer, was frozen in ice for centuries, eventually thawed out and became the Vikings mascot — but only after failing to make the team as a player. It’s all there in his bio, but, honestly, it’s kind of a tedious read. Here’s a link to a word search based on Viktor’s mustache, if that’s more your speed.
Route Details
The New England Patriots mascot walks around the field before an NFL football game
(Michael Dwyer / Associated Press)

Pat Patriot

New England Patriots
Home: Gillette Stadium
The Patriots mascot shares a name with the character from the team’s classic logo, although that Pat was retired and replaced by the current version in 1993, two years before mascot Pat made his debut. With a jawline that even Buzz Lightyear would envy, Pat lists his weight as “100% muscle.” In a bizarre incident at a practice for the 2019 Pro Bowl, the mascot was tackled by Jets safety Jamal Adams, who later explained he did so simply because “everybody was booing him.”
Route Details
New Orleans Saints mascots are seen before of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills
(Bill Feig / Associated Press)

Sir Saint and Gumbo

New Orleans Saints
Home: Caesars Superdome
Gumbo was once played by actual dogs before being reintroduced in his current form during the 1990s. He was briefly replaced in the early 2000s by an odd and wildly unpopular creature named Mambo. Sir Saint (and his massively macho chin) was part of the team’s original logo in the 1960s and was revived decades later. The two mascots have been known to help each other out with tasks both mundane and exhilarating.
Route Details
New York Giants fans cheer during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game
(Frank Franklin II / Associated Press)

The Giants don't have a mascot, but ...

New York Giants
... maybe this fan at MetLife Stadium wants the job.
Route Details
Advertisement
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) sets up for a play
(Adam Hunger / Associated Press)

The Jets don't have a mascot, but ...

New York Jets
... maybe this guy who has been hanging out at MetLife Stadium lately wants the job.
Route Details
The Philadelphia Eagles mascot Swoop performs during the flag football event at the NFL Pro Bowl
(John Locher / Associated Press)

Swoop

Philadelphia Eagles
Home: Lincoln Financial Field
Swoop. certainly knows how to make an entrance. He made his debut in 1996 by skydiving into Veterans Stadium from 10,000 feet above, then quickly joining the cheerleaders for a dance number at midfield. Years later, when the Eagles were announced before the start of Super Bowl XXXIX, Swoop was the only one to come running out of the tunnel after a burst pipe at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., prevented the rest of the team from joining him.
Route Details
A young Pittsburgh Steelers fan gets a hug from Pittsburgh Steelers mascot Steely McBeam
(Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)

Steely McBeam

Pittsburgh Steelers
Home: Acrisure Stadium
With a massive jaw rumored to have been modeled after that of Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher, Steely McBeam was launched in 2007 as part of the Steelers’ 75th anniversary celebration. While his steelworker look is a nod to Pittsburgh’s past, Steely has tried to keep up with the times, with accounts on all major social media outlets. But, alas, his most recent post on any of them was this one from Sept. 10, 2022: “It’s been 10 years since my last tweet. what have I missed? I’m baaaaaacck!”
Route Details
San Francisco 49ers mascot Sourdough Sam before an NFL football game
(Josie Lepe / Associated Press)

Sourdough Sam

San Francisco 49ers
Home: Levi’s Stadium
Sourdough Sam never misses an opportunity to show off his dance moves. Like this time with team legend Jerry Rice. And this time with rapper 2 Chainz. And this time with rapper E-40. And this time with rapper Stunnaman. He can do the Kiki dance. He can do the cupid shuffle. On top of all that, he is also an expert beat boxer. Pretty hip for a bushy-bearded miner whose favorite fashion accessories are blue suspenders, a yellow neck bandana and a 10-gallon hat.
Route Details
Advertisement
Seattle Seahawks mascot Blitz looks on during an NFL football game
(Ben VanHouten / Associated Press)

Blitz the Seahawk

Seattle Seahawks
Home: Lumen Field
Blitz has been around since 1998, but he still seems a little insecure about his job. The special teams players definitely like him, though. His favorite mode of transportation is his trusty scooter, but apparently he also has a time machine. That’s how the team website explains the 2014 arrival of his adolescent sidekick, Boom. A third mascot, a real-life hawk named Taima, has flown from the Seahawks tunnel to midfield before home games since 2005.
Route Details
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers mascot "Captain Fear leads the team onto the field before an NFL football game
(Chris O’Meara / Associated Press)

Captain Fear

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Home: Raymond James Stadium
He’s got a vicious scar on his right cheek. His facial hair (including his eyebrows) is untamed. His shoulders are tattooed. His teeth are clenched in a permanent grimace. Yes, Captain Fear is everything his name suggests ... and everything the dapper, winking Bucco Bruce was not. But get this: The gritty pirate who has been the Buccaneers mascot since 2000 and the creamsicle-colored swashbuckler who once graced the team’s logo are actually best friends and confidants.
Route Details
Tennessee Titans mascot T-Rac performs during the first half of an NFL football game
(Brett Carlsen / Associated Press)

T-Rac

Tennessee Titans
Home: Nissan Stadium
T-Rac seems like a great guy. He’s fun, sometimes arriving to home games on a chariot. He’s adventurous, known to rappel down the highest buildings in downtown Nashville. He’s thoughtful, having started a Random Acts of Kindness challenge. And he’s helpful, frequently stepping in to offer his expertise on local newscasts. He’s definitely not the type who would do something like this (that guy was clearly an imposter — and not a very good one, at that.
Route Details
Washington Commanders mascot Major Tuddy walks on the sideline before an NFL football game between the Commanders and the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
(Patrick Semansky / Associated Press)

Major Tuddy

Washington Commanders
Home: FedEx Field
Major Tuddy is the newest member of the NFL mascot family, making his FedEx Field debut during a Jan. 1, 2023, game against the Cleveland Browns. He’s a pig, a nod to the Hogs nickname of the franchise’s offensive lines of the 1980s and 1990s. He’s a major, a tribute to the military population in the Washington area. His last name is said to be a hip way to say the word “touchdown.” And he chose jersey number 00 because it resembles his snout.
Route Details
Advertisement