How Many NFL Teams Are Named After Birds?

There are six NFL teams named after birds: the Arizona Cardinals, the Atlanta Falcons, the Baltimore Ravens, the Carolina Panthers, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks.

The 6 NFL Teams Named After Birds

There are 6 NFL teams named after birds- the Arizona Cardinals, the Atlanta Falcons, the Baltimore Ravens, the Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The History of These Teams

The NFL has had its share of teams with bird mascots over the years. In fact, at one point, there were six teams in the league with avian mascots: the Cardinals, Eagles, Falcons, Ravens, Seahawks, and Steelers. (The Cardinals actually began life as the Racine Normals in 1898 before changing their name to the Cardinals in 1900).

While some of these teams have been around for decades (the Cardinals were founded in 1898), others are relatively new to the scene. The Seahawks, for example, joined the NFL in 1976.

Interestingly, there has only been one team in NFL history with a bird mascot that has changed its name: the Phoenix Cardinals became the Arizona Cardinals in 1994.

Why Are They Named After Birds?

The origin of most sports team names can be traced back to their city or region of origins. For example, Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers get their name from the trolley dodgers that navigated the city’s public transit system in the early 1900s. But when it comes to NFL teams, a significant number are named after birds. So why are they named after birds?

One theory is that many of these teams were founded in the 1920s and 1930s, during the heyday of the American auto industry. At the time, cars were often advertised with bird-themed names (think Ford Falcon or Pontiac Firebird), so it’s possible that team owners were simply trying to tap into that marketing trend.

Whatever the reason, there are currently seven NFL teams whose names reference birds: the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles. And while some of these names (like Cardinals and Eagles) have a long history dating back to the team’s origins, others (like Ravens and Falcons) were only adopted within the past few decades.

How Do the Fans Feel About It?

Crows, eagles, falcons, hawks, and ravens are all flying under the NFL shield. Seven of the league’s 32 teams have mascots that represent some type of bird. There are three teams named after types of birds of prey (Falcons, Seahawks, Eagles), and four teams named after more general bird species (Ravens, Cardinals, Jets, Bills).

But not everyone is thrilled about all these avian-themed teams. In 2015, the Washington Post asked its readers whether the Washington Redskins should change their name, which many people consider to be a racial slur. While most respondents said that the team should keep its name, a significant minority said that the name was offensive and should be changed.

When it comes to bird names, some people are more accepting than others. The Guardian conducted a survey in 2013 asking people whether they found certain team names offensive. Of the four bird-named teams, only the Baltimore Ravens received a majority of “yes” responses when people were asked if they found their name offensive (52%). Surprisingly, the Arizona Cardinals received the second highest percentage of “yes” responses (47%), even though their name doesn’t seem to be as controversial as the Redskins or even the Ravens.

So it seems that while some fans don’t mind cheering for their feathered friends, others find avian-themed team names to be a bit too much.

Conclusion

There are actually quite a few NFL teams named after birds! Here is a list of all the teams along with their mascots:

-Arizona Cardinals
-Atlanta Falcons
-Baltimore Ravens
-Buffalo Bills
-Carolina Panthers
-Chicago Bears
-Cincinnati Bengals
-Cleveland Browns
-Dallas Cowboys
-Denver Broncos
-Detroit Lions
-Green Bay Packers
-Houston Texans
-Indianapolis Colts
-Jacksonville Jaguars