Midjourney
Dating back to when you were a small child, one of the first things you noticed when watching a sports game was the mascot. The human dressed up in a gigantic costume was thrilling to see. The mascot had one goal, and that was to entertain the fans both in attendance and in person at games. Some of the mascots were brilliantly crafted…while others were not. This article utilized AI and came up with a whole new fresh batch of NFL mascots in the process.
1. Indianapolis Colts
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We kick off our mascot piece with the Colts. This is a rather intense figure. A.I. is really leaning into the Colts aspect with the prominent horse head. The primary blue color accentuates the large eyes almost to the point where the animal has some liberal usage of eyeshadow. Is it the most intimidating mascot in the world? Probably not. But is it a bit unsettling to look at? Absolutely.
2. Los Angeles Chargers
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Look at this little guy! He could quite possibly be some sort of cartoon superhero for a children’s show. He looks like he’d buzz around and ‘charge’ up the crowd. We could also see this figure being a true fan favorite in Los Angeles. Imagine the possibilities for merch — whether it be plush dolls, comic strips, cartoons, or clothing! Without a doubt, this appears to be a quite natural choice as a potential mascot for the Chargers. All that’s left is to come up with an appropriate name for our guy.
3. Baltimore Ravens
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This is a perfect encapsulation of this franchise. The raven is prominently shown and is truly beautiful in terms of construction. As a whole, this franchise is often billed as a tough, gritty, defensive-minded entity. We like how the leather jacket along with the off-purple brimmed hat gives sort of an ‘outlaw’ look. It further cements the idea that this team means business — and that anyone tasked with playing the Ravens should be ready for a fight.
4. Carolina Panthers
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Without a doubt, this is one of the most menacing mascots we have to date. Being the Panthers — an apex predator — you’d expect the mascot to offer a bit of an intimidation factor. Well, this guy offers that…and more. Choosing black as the primary color certainly seems like the smart choice. Accented further by teal and tones of silver allows the personality in the face to pop even more. From there, the muscled-up version of the cat is a positive idea.
5. Arizona Cardinals
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This was a clever choice by the A.I. machine here. Obviously, the cardinal is a bird with the ability to fly. Playing on that fact, this mascot is fitted with old-school leather flight gloves and a leather band that nearly looks akin to a seatbelt in a plane. The bold red color pops with the pompadour and the bright yellow beak. We also like the fact that the bird is more lifelike rather than cartoonish in nature — which is something that could’ve easily been illustrated.
6. Houston Texans
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This mascot is one of the more clear ones from an identity standpoint. The Longhorn is an animal always associated with the state of Texas. In this instance, the ‘Texan’ logo was chosen to be a bull. We do like the choice here from the standpoint it connects with the local theme of the city, and because it will be very easy to replicate for hypothetical merchandise. The sharp teeth on both the top and bottom rows of the bull are also a very nice touch.
7. Detroit Lions
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This is one of our favorite representations of what a professional mascot could look like. The Lions normally are a laughingstock when it comes to the NFL. Now with a fun, young team with real promise, the narrative is quickly changing. This Lion looks like it’s been through plenty of wars, with scars and visible wear and tear. At the same time, it is still represented as a magisterial, regal beast all the same. When illuminated in blue and silver, it just works beautifully well.
8. Buffalo Bills
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This version of the Bills mascot looks like a half-man/half-beast ready to go to battle in some sort of mythical village. It’s a pretty ornate and detailed figure — especially in the face where you can see elements of a human though it’s clearly a buffalo all the same. The stoic look on the face of the Buffalo is reminiscent of the frosty chill that hangs over the city of Buffalo during a game in December. The rugged ‘armor’ is also a cool touch, as it may resemble the furry exterior of the traditional buffalo.
9. Washington Commanders
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Yeesh…this is one creepy dude. We’re going to be under the assumption that this is an ex-commander from some old war — perhaps the Civil War — who’s come back from the dead and is now a shrunken, shriveled version cheering on the sideline representing the nation’s capital. The unique helmet is comprised of the three major colors found in the American flag. To tie in the theme of football, this figure is also wearing some shabby-looking shoulder pads. One of the weirder mascots to date, for sure.
10. Cleveland Browns
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This one is a bit puzzling. We thought there was a good chance we’d see a dog represented here considering the famed Dawg Pound supporters section which has been present in Cleveland for decades and decades. Instead, we got some sort of unidentifiable rodent. It doesn’t look like a rat or a mouse in the traditional sense. Maybe it’s a gopher? Even then, what does that have to do with the Cleveland Browns? Not sure this one hits the proverbial mark at all.
11. Atlanta Falcons
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In theory, this mascot does work. You’ve got an angry bird with seething red eyes to match Atlanta’s natural color scheme. On the other hand…doesn’t this look a whole lot like the Eagles logo? This is especially the case with the bird shown on the sleeve of the jersey. We don’t mind the red and black setup along with the black hawk itself. But, we wish we saw a bit more creativity in the process.
12. Los Angeles Rams
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When you’re situated in the entertainment capital of the world, your mascot should be ready to put on a real show. It needs to be bold, recognizable, iconic, and truly emblematic of the team it’s representing. In this case, the Ram is clearly shown in a prominent way. The detail on the face is simply fantastic. Little touches — such as using sheep wool for de facto shoulder pads are utterly brilliant. The golden horns are also fantastically illustrated here to match the noteworthy helmet.
13. New York Jets
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A.I. went off the cuff with this creature. We understand that there are times in which the mascot might not exactly match the team name. For example, why is there a person in a gorilla suit during Phoenix Suns’ games? As such, it’s not totally unprecedented to see a unique choice such as the one above. But we’re left shaking our heads a bit. Why does a gremlin-esque creature represent the New York Jets? Why not lean into the ‘Jets’ part and provide something related to aviation? Maybe this will be a hit with the kids?
14. Minnesota Vikings
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Now we’re cooking. To be fair, it’s hard to mess this mascot up. Minnesota has one of the most recognizable helmets in the entire NFL. Creating a mascot to fit the Viking mold seems pretty straightforward as long as it doesn’t look overly cartoonish in nature. Here, the tough-looking dude of Scandinavian stock has the trademark beard, metal armor, and patented horned helmet. This is a perfect encapsulation of the Minnesota Vikings.
15. Denver Broncos
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Here we’ve got the old embattled bronco — a wild horse who’s spent many a winter traversing the terrain across the Colorado plains searching for some sort of meaning. Along the way, the wear and tear has done a number of its face — maybe from harsh debris flying off the rocky peaks of various mountain formations. With the horse being a bit muted from a color standpoint, the bright orange mane clearly shines through here as a solid juxtaposition against the gray, brown, and dark blue hues of the animal itself.
16. Tennessee Titans
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This is something entirely different than we’ve seen up to this point. The Titans mascot could’ve gone in a number of different directions. As chosen by A.I., this stylized version almost resembles something you’d see out of a superhero universe. Except instead of being a protagonist, the mascot pretty much resembles that of a villain. The light blue and white tones of this creature mirror the traditional color scheme found in Tennessee. While it might be a bit scary for young children, it’s pretty intimidating all the same for someone of any age.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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To be fair, this does look like something out of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The ghostly sea captain with a weathered face, noteworthy hat, garnet bandana, and a scraggly beard. It fits some iteration of the description as to what a buccaneer is. A.I. could’ve given us a slightly fresher take, with perhaps a younger buccaneer. Additionally, it would’ve been really cool to see the beloved creamsicle uniforms be integrated in some form or fashion.
18. Cincinnati Bengals
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We were certainly expecting some sort of Bengal tiger for the Bengals. The striped helmet is one of the most recognizable ones in the entire NFL. While we did get the tiger, we weren’t necessarily expecting the mascot to be resembling Rocky Balboa. The combination of the hood and gloves makes it look like the mascot is walking through the arena in preparation to square off in a boxing/MMA fight. Regardless, it weirdly works quite well in this instance.
19. Seattle Seahawks
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Seattle’s 12th Man provides one of the best home-field advantages in the entire NFL. There’s even a section of the stadium called the Hawk’s Nest where the faithful cheer loudly for the Seahawks. The mascot here does in fact tick all of the proverbial boxes as it pertains to what one would want in the ideal Seattle Seahawks mascot. The goggles are a nice touch paying homage to the bird as it soars over Puget Sound. The navy blue meshes beautifully with the brighter shade of green as an accent color.
20. Miami Dolphins
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This is a creepy representation of the Dolphins. There’s no other way to put it. First of all, the mascot itself looks more like Voldemort than it does the cute aquatic animal we’ve come to know and love. Then there’s the background. It looks like a battle scene with a bunch of dead, discarded Cleveland Browns helmets. Is this Dolphin mascot supposed to be a killer? Just a strange choice all the way around.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars
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It’s a robo-kitty on steroids! This almost looks like a figure you’d see in the Marvel universe. This action star-turned-feline does appear to be a guy in a superhero suit. With that said, it’s a pretty unique and cool take on the traditional Jaguars mascot. The trio of colors (teal, gold, black) perhaps pops more so than any other in the league. The sinister expression only adds to the mystique of the figure as well.
22. New Orleans Saints
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This little jester figure seems to actually fit with New Orleans. For one, the color scheme is fantastic. The outfit itself fits the old-school French/Spanish-style architecture found throughout the city. The pseudo-Pope hat fits with the strong Catholic roots found in the city. From there, this little creature is creepy — and New Orleans itself is a city considered by many to have some haunted elements. When set behind what appears to be a Bayou backdrop/something along the Mississippi River, this is a home run mascot.
23. Kansas City Chiefs
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At first glance, this looks like one of those hippy shirts you can buy from a gas station. The Native American headdress in today’s today and age might ruffle a few feathers. Having said that, the wolf itself is a very cool mascot. The icy glare it exudes is quite similar to Patrick Mahomes as he takes the field ready to lead the team to a last-minute game-winning drive. With a little retooling to feature more of the team’s colors and less of the headdress, you’d have something pretty special.
24. Philadelphia Eagles
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This one is super clever. Taking the existing wings off the current helmet, they were beautifully repurposed as eyebrows. It fits seamlessly against the forest-green plumage of the eagle. Those darting eyes are both menacing and lifelike all the same. Plus, you retain the traditional jersey worn during the Donovan McNabb days. The elongated beak with its appropriate sharpness is a very nice touch.
25. New York Giants
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This one is taking a play on the name. When you think of giant animals, an elephant certainly comes to mind! In this situation, it almost looks like A.I. created a gigantically muscular human and plopped an angry elephant head on top. Wearing a tattered Giants jersey, it gives off the impression that said animal has been through the ringer a time or two. A battle-tested elephant? Sign us up!
26. Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Steel City needs something to replicate the gritty, tough, determined nature of Pittsburgh as a city. Well, in this case, A.I. took it a bit too literally. The mascot is essentially a very creepy robot with gigantic eyes It’s part Terminator, part Skeletor, and part football player. We did get the intimidation factor from this mascot. That is clear — though the design of this helmet isn’t overly family-friendly. It’s a bit unsettling.
27. Green Bay Packers
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Now this cute little looks like he’s straight out of a Pixar movie — perhaps even the famed Ratatouille. With the iconic cheesehead being a staple for those attending games at Lambeau, a tiny mouse pairs quite nicely with the famed headgear. Not only that, but universally the state of Wisconsin is known for producing arguably the best cheese in the United States. Short of an actual figurine made out of cheese, this little mouse fits the bill well — and would be a grand slam from a merchandising standpoint.
28. Chicago Bears
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It would be hard to screw this one up. There are many iterations of mascots with the bear as the central figure. In this case, the Monsters of the Midway got a bada** grizzly bear with glowing orange eyes. The detail on the fur of the animal is awesome, and the navy blue uniform truly works with the mascot and the accent of the eyes. If we were to have a ranking of all of these mascots, this one would truly appear towards the top of the list.
29. New England Patriots
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Now this one is sort of similar to the Commanders’ mascot cooked up by A.I. Here, the legible nature of the mascot does in fact showcase the Patriots quite clearly. The uniform along with the hat and presumed artillery belt does look good. However, we again have a ghostly figure which appears to have been dug up from underground. Our question: Why not make the mascot a modern-day-looking human rather than a corpse? In some aspects this design fits the bill, and in others, it falls short.
30. Las Vegas Raiders
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This one is quite emblematic of the Raiders and its ‘intense’ fan base. The Black Hole was a staple in Oakland, and since it’s traveled all across the West Coast from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Even then, this is still one of the most popular franchises across the country. The iconic Raiders logo does pair terrifically well with this ‘biker gang’ motif. The black and silver — coupled with the skulls really does work beautifully.
31. San Francisco 49ers
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This appears to be a modern take on what a gold rush miner would’ve looked like over 100 years ago. You have the burly guy with a gigantic beard. However, he apparently struck it rich since he’s got some considerable bling hanging from his neck. The SF cowboy hat is a nice touch, as are the gold gloves. We could see this mascot working quite well considering the current iteration of the team doesn’t really have a recognizable visual brand outside of the “SF” logo.
32. Dallas Cowboys
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It would only be fitting to see America’s Team have the most Cowboy-looking cowboy as its official mascot. You’ve got a figure resembling an actual person here rather than a cartoon. The 10-gallon hat obviously works here, as does the stoic expression. The color scheme might be a bit dull in nature — though the look of the mascot does do its job relatively well.
