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The NFL has become chock-filled with fanfare over the past couple of decades. Everything from the marketing of the games to the production on Sundays is top-of-the-line. One thing, however, that has remained fairly constant in that vein is the role that NFL mascots play in the league and the wide variety in quality from the fan’s POV on them.
Let’s take a look around the NFL at five of the most hated and five of the most lovable mascots in the game today!
Which mascots in the NFL are popular, and which ones are hated?
Hated – Chicago Bears: Staley Da Bear
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While the Chicago Bears are one of the NFL’s most historic franchises, its current mascot, Staley “Da Bear,” debuted semi-recently back in 2003.
He is, as you might’ve expected… an anthropomorphic bear donning a Bears uni—and named after A.E. Staley, one of the team’s founders way back in 1919.
Staley did manage to gain some popularity in the mid-2000s shortly after his debut, uncoincidentally coinciding with the Bears run under Lovie Smith, during, which they were a Rex Grossman away from winning a Super Bowl on the strength of that beastly defense…
In any case, Staley is one of the most hateable mascots in the league for my money—even if he is a three-time Pro Bowler somehow.
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His get-up is uncreative, and that look in his eyes is downright creepy!
Far and away, one of the worst mascots in a league filled with some questionable characters leading the charge on the sidelines!
Loved – Carolina Panthers: Sir Purr
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When you look around the NFL, there are few mascots with more character than the one, the only: Sir Purr of the Carolina Panthers!
Don’t listen to anything Chosen—formerly Robbie, Anderson tells you… Sir Purr is the cream of the crop.
Not only is he extremely entertaining on gameday and trained up on a number of hilarious dances and gimmicks, but Sir Purr is also very versatile. He regularly switches up his outfit to match the vibe—he’s gone as everything from Santa to a military camo suit.
He even dressed like Fred Flintstone on halloween one year. There is a reason why fans—not just down in Charlotte too—love this oversized Panther!
I mean, he is even self-aware enough to troll the aforementioned Anderson in his Instagram bio for mistaking him for a Bear.
Long live Sir Purr!
Hated – Jacksonville Jaguars: Jaxson de Ville
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While it is pretty on par for Jacksonville… let’s just say that Jaxson de Ville’s behavior through the years has drawn some ire from fans of other NFL teams.
This incident, in particular, dates back a while, but it was pretty egregious.
During a timeout in a matchup against the Steelers, the Jags mascot brought a life-sized stuffed doll of Pittsburgh quarterback Kordell Stewart onto the field and began beating and stomping it — just a mere few feet away from the Steelers’ offensive huddle.
Then he went over to the bench during another timeout and used a Steeler rug and wiped himself in unspeakable places with it.
I mean… Check out what the normally mild-mannered Steelers Owner, Dan Rooney, said after the altercation.
“It’s just too bad Jack Lambert or Greg Lloyd weren’t still playing for our team last year,” Rooney started. “After the stunts their mascot pulled on the field, we would have had to bail those guys out of jail.”
Then, Steelers head coach Bill Cowher reiterated that the incident had essentially burned into his mind.
If that isn’t a sign that old Jaxson was out of line… I don’t know what it is!
The Jags mascot has cleaned up his act ever so slightly in the past few years… But the fact remains that he is reviled around the league.
Loved – Los Angeles Rams: Rampage
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The Los Angeles Rams don’t have the most history as a franchise… at least not in the current state, having moved back and forth from a couple of different locations now.
That said, they have managed to put forth one of the more popular mascots around the league—with Rampage the Ram.
Starting with his aesthetic… Rampage has downright striking horns and dons the vibrant team colors, makes him a visually appealing symbol for the squad.
The cartoon-ified Mountain Ram does well to embody all of the energy and emotion that the team needs in crunch time too!
Rampage has a fairly impressive resume as well… He was awarded NFL’s “Most Awesome Mascot” by Cartoon Network’s Hall of Game Awards and was the first NFL mascot to be inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2020.
Hated – Las Vegas Raiders: Raider Rusher
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I don’t know what Raiders fans dislike more… The fact that Mark Davis uprooted the team and brought them to Las Vegas—or the mascot that he allows to walk up and down the sideline on game day.
There are so many cool things that they could’ve done with the design for this mascot considering the Raiders wild and crazy history… and… well—they came up extremely flat to put it frankly.
Raider Rusher is vanilla as it gets and in a terrible way.
The Raiders had hundreds of better mascots back in their Oakland days with the get-ups that their die-hard fans wore to the games—how awesome would it have been had they paid tribute to that part of their history and based the design on that?
But no… instead, we get this bland, sterile “Raider Rusher.” Woof.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NFL Teams Wacky Mascots From WORST To FIRST For 2024
Loved – Pittsburgh Steelers: Steely McBeam
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Introduced in 2007 as part of the team’s 75th-anniversary celebrations, Steely McBeam represents… wait… you guessed it! The city’s rich history in the steel industry and, of course, the whole blue-collar spirit and all of that!
It’s no shocker, considering the Steelers seem to always have a sharp plan intact with everything they do, but they nailed it with McBeam.
Granted, this was selected from a fan contest that included 70,000 people, but Pittsburgh had the courage to stand by the name and make it official!
For starters, the name is phenomenal. Try to say it aloud without smiling. Unless you are an NFC North Fan—I’d bet it is damn near impossible.
They also crushed it with the design. The hard hat and rugged demeanor were a great place to start, but once they gave him the literal steel beam to lug around—he won the hearts of people everywhere!
Hated – Dallas Cowboys: Rowdy
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Like many aspects of the Dallas Cowboys, Rowdy, the team’s mascot, is not exactly a favorite of other fans around the league.
And we won’t beat around the bush with this one… One of the primary critiques is his appearance. Rowdy, with his oversized cowboy hat and wide grin—well, it is eerily reminiscent of other Cowboys figures that folks are none too fond of… Jerry Jones!
Imagine the vanity—to essentially roll out a mascot version of yourself in front of the entire country and just expect people to accept that?!
Only Jerry Jones would try to pull something like that!
Rowdy’s gameday antics also leave a lot to be desired. To put it simply, he is boring. And very rarely seems to bring the energy that is required to fill up AT&T Stadium while the Cowboys are blowing it on the field!
I’m sure there are some Cowboys fans who are fond of him, but the train stops there!
Loved – Washington Commanders: Major Tuddy
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Man, there are so many reasons why Major Tuddy has quickly become one of the most popular mascots; heck, I’d even say, popular characters around the NFL, period.
Tuddy has been a major breath of fresh air for one of the league’s most historic franchises that has been in dire need of one coming out of the calamity that was the Dan Snyder era.
I’m not sure who was calling the shots on this one in D.C. but Major Tuddy’s design hit the mark in a big way in terms of tying it back to the team and area’s identity.
He is a military-inspired character, he pays homage to Washington, D.C.’s rich history and the team’s connection to the nation’s capital—and making him a hog, paying tribute to the team’s offensive line back in the day that led them to Super Bowl glory was an awesome move!
All that is left is for them to stop messing around and change the team name one final time to the Red Hogs or something to that effect!
In any case, the magic of Major Tuddy doesn’t stop there. His name, “Tuddy,” is a playful nod to scoring touchdowns… Brilliant! And fun to say. Two major boxes to check!
The franchise has done a really good job of positioning him for success as well with the kinds of engagement that they tee him up for. He is often seen leading cheers, performing entertaining skits, and interacting with fans, making him a beloved figure, especially among younger audiences.
He is also regularly seen around the DMV area at various charity events…
It doesn’t get much better than Major Tuddy.
You know what—why stop at the Commanders Mascot—I think people would support the Major on a presidential ballot!
Hated – Tennessee Titans: T-Rac
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T-Rac, the Tennessee Titans mascot, isn’t exactly winning over NFL fans across the country. Let’s cut to the chase: T-Rac is a raccoon, and the Titans are straight up grasping at straws to make a connection to Tennessee wildlife and the state animal by putting T-Rac on the sidelines.
It might seem logical on paper, but it’s just not resonating with fans. And to make matters worse, he looks more like a critter rummaging through your trash than a fierce symbol of a football team.
The fans might accept that if he at least aligned with the Team name or something… But to just randomly throw a Raccoon on the sidelines is downright silly—and has made him unpopular amongst the broader collection of NFL fans.
Especially because of the massive missed opportunity they have as a team named the Titans.
Tennessee could’ve spun up an awesome caricature of a Titan that electrified the crowds… but instead, all we got is a pesky little Raccoon.
Doesn’t exactly exude the power and strength that the team’s mythical name implies.
All in all, this mascot feels like an afterthought and should largely be treated as such! Swing and a miss from the Titans!
Loved – Denver Broncos: Miles
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It has been tough sledding for the Denver Broncos and their diehard fan base over the last few years… but lucky for them, their mascot, Miles, has managed to keep morale as high as humanly possible considering the state of affairs in the Mile High City.
Miles was developed in the early 1990s, famously making his first public appearance at the 1995 Pro Bowl as part of the largely failed Team NFL Heroes initiative.
For those who don’t know, this was a line of mascot-like characters created by for every team in the league; most of the characters only lasted a season or two, but a handful ended up being adopted as official mascots by their respective teams—and understandably, Miles was one of the survivors.
Before the Broncos unveiled him as their official team mascot—and he subsequently sky rocketed up the mascot power rankings… they did issue some changes to his appearance… Namely such as changing his fur from orange to white and switching his jersey number from 0 to 00, but for all intents and purposes, the integrity of Miles the mascot has been maintained…
And the Broncos are better for it! He has managed to bring a wave of excitement and energy to one of the league’s most popular franchises in recent years, which has been critical during a time when the team has needed a boost.
And… you know what—credit to the design team that brought Miles to life back in the day, because they nailed it, he perfectly captures the essence of the Denver Broncos and always manages to get the crowd fired up!
Miles isn’t just about looks, whoever is running the show behind the mask has really mastered the playful and dynamic personality needed to make him a fan favorite.
It is also great how to the point they got with his name, “Miles,” which overtly points to the “Mile High City,” Denver, and its massive elevation adding a touch of local pride.
It isn’t the most clever name, but you have to love that sort of directness. It is so uncreative that it essentially crosses back over into being creative – if you get me!
Also Read: AI Reimagined All 32 NFL Mascots And Every One Of Them Look Like They Belong In A Horror Film (PICS)