Special Report

The Creepiest Mascots in the NFL

Grant Suneson

Published: December 8, 2021 10:00 am

Last Updated: January 20, 2022 9:57 am

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

Source: Mat Hayward / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

27. Blitz
> Team: Seattle Seahawks
> Mascot since: 1998

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Source: Sam Greenwood / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

26. Jaxson De Ville
> Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
> Mascot since: 1996

Source: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

25. Staley Da Bear
> Team: Chicago Bears
> Mascot since: 2003

Source: Andy Lyons / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

24. Blue
> Team: Indianapolis Colts
> Mascot since: 2006

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Source: Stacy Revere / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

23. Billy Buffalo
> Team: Buffalo Bills
> Mascot since: 2000

Source: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

22. Swoop
> Team: Philadelphia Eagles
> Mascot since: 1996

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Source: Michael Steele / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

21. Viktor
> Team: Minnesota Vikings
> Mascot since: 2007

Source: Kyle Rivas / Stringer /Getty Images North America

20. KC Wolf
> Team: Kansas City Chiefs
> Mascot since: 1989

Source: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

19. Miles
> Team: Denver Broncos
> Mascot since: 1999

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Source: Andrew Weber / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

18. Chomps
> Team: Cleveland Browns
> Mascot since: late 2000s

Source: Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

17. Big Red
> Team: Arizona Cardinals
> Mascot since: 1998

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Source: Joe Murphy / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

16. T-Rac
> Team: Tennessee Titans
> Mascot since: 1999

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15. Pat the Patriot
> Team: New England Patriots
> Mascot since: 1995

Source: Michael Hickey / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

14. Who Dey
> Team: Cincinnati Bengals
> Mascot since: “several decades” ago

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Source: Harry How / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

13. Poe
> Team: Baltimore Ravens
> Mascot since: 1998

Source: Jason Merritt / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

12. Steely McBeam
> Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
> Mascot since: 2007

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Source: Doug Pensinger / Getty Images

11. Roary
> Team: Detroit Lions
> Mascot since: 1995

Source: Scott Halleran / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

10. Toro
> Team: Houston Texans
> Mascot since: 2001

Source: Sean Gardner / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

9. Sir Saint
> Team: New Orleans Saints
> Mascot since: 1967-1984, 2009

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Source: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

8. Freddie Falcon
> Team: Atlanta Falcons
> Mascot since: Mid 1980s

Source: Chris Trotman / Stringer / Getty Images North America

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

Source: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

4. Rowdy
> Team: Dallas Cowboys
> Mascot since: 1996

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Source: Grant Halverson / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

3. Sir Purr
> Team: Carolina Panthers
> Mascot since: 1995

Source: Jamie Squire / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

2. Captain Fear
> Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
> Mascot since: 2000

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Source: Ethan Miller / Getty Images