The best part of the fall is almost here, bringing in rookies, underdogs, defending Super Bowl champs and even a few furry teammates to the big screens.
The 2026 NFL season kicks off Sept. 9 as the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots take center stage at Lumen Field for a rematch of Super Bowl LX.
Although fans will have to wait until Sunday to see the likes of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Eagles running back Saquon Barkley soar to new heights this season, those fantasy football favorites can review film of their teams' live mascots in preparation for Week 1.
Unlike the world of college sports, the NFL only features a handful of live mascots to pair with the star-studded talent gracing the gridiron. LSU's Mike the Tiger, Bevo and UGA
are all household names in the SEC, but on Sundays, there's a more muted response for our animal brethren.
Without further ado, here are the only live mascots in the NFL:
Thunder, Denver Broncos
At Mile High Stadium, Thunder the horse brings an electrifying presence to the Denver Broncos' home turf.
The stallion gallops onto the field every time the team scores a touchdown, adding to the reverberating noise of fans hooting and hollering in the stands. Thunder was with the Broncos since 1993, until the Thunder Spirit team led by Sharon Magness Blake, Ernie Blake and rider Ann Judge retired.
"I'll miss the people," Magness Blake said. "It's family down there. It's family on the field. That makes me want to cry more than anything, because it's like going home. It's like your second home."
Now, the Broncos said there's going to be a new horse in town set to hit the field once the season starts.
Noah and Reggie, Philadelphia Eagles
There are two live mascots for the Philadelphia Eagles who greet fans before the game. However, these eagles didn't start out as mascots.
Noah, one of the mascots, was 8 weeks old when the Elmwood Park Zoo said he took an 80 foot fall out of the nest and landed on his head. He spent years recovering from brain and eye injuries, and was ultimately deemed unfit to be released back into the wild. However, he was up for the job in another organization: the Eagles.
He took on his position in 2013, paving the way for his teammate, Reggie.
Reggie was an immature male and the zoo believed he was injured from a collision with a truck. He had several fractures to his wing, and ultimately had it amputated. He couldn't fly and wasn't released back into the wild, but his injury didn't stop him from grabbing a spot on the football team.
Reggie started in 2019, taking turns with Noah for pregame festivities. Despite the "Fly, Eagles Fly" song, neither mascot flies due to their injuries. The birds can be found meeting guests up close before the game and are sometimes on the field for the national anthem.
Laura Soder, the Eagle Team lead, said prior to game day, the eagles are trained with food to step on the handler's glove. They also need to be prepared for the crowd and the players, so part of their training includes having interns run around with pom poms and flags to acclimate the birds to the game day atmosphere.
"You can't go into the stadium the first time you get out on the field and go, 'OK, everybody just, everyone be a little quieter this first time...' That's not going to happen. So we try to recreate scenarios where we can build up to it," Soder said.
Taima, Seattle Seahawks
An Augur Hawk hatched in 2005, but it wasn't just any hawk. She's now known as Taima, the Seattle Seahawks live mascot. She's accompanied by her handler, David Knutson, who's spent 30 years training birds of prey and is a die-hard Seahawks fan.
The majestic bird has a wingspan that's about 4.5 feet tall, just a few inches shorter than Danny DeVito. She's led the team onto the field and even appeared at Super Bowls; however, she has gotten herself into some trouble in the past.
In 2014, Taima took a detour from her routine and headed for the stands, ultimately landing on a fan's head — and that wasn't the last incident. In 2021, Taima, who flies the team out of the tunnel, went for the crowd instead of her handler, again landing on a fan's head.
Rise and Conquer, Baltimore Ravens
We can't forget the Baltimore Ravens, who have not one but two live mascots. These—you guessed it—ravens are known as Rise and Conquer and have been attending home games and special events since 2009.
The Ravens described Conquer as a "bolder bird," while Rise is the more cautious brother who will only go up to an object or food after Conquer checked it out. The two were trained at the Maryland Zoo after hatching from the same clutch in Alabama, and they now live at the Animal Embassy.
There have been other live mascots in the past. An honorable mention goes out to the Cleveland Browns, who had a live mascot representing the Dawg Pound up until 2024. The pup, SJ, also known as Swagger Jr., passed away in 2024, and his shoes haven't been filled.
You'll be able to see some of these mascots either on the field or around the stadium, joining the rest of America in kicking off the start of yet another highly anticipated football season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The NFL only has a few live mascots. Meet the animals behind the team
