Falcons' throwback profile picture sparks backlash over Nazi-era comparisons; team says it's not a new logo

The Atlanta Falcons set out to celebrate their first season. Instead, a new social media profile picture turned into one of the most talked-about images in sports this week, as critics said it looked uncomfortably like World War II-era German Nazi imagery. The team’s answer, so far, is short: the Falcons do not have a new logo.

What did the Falcons post?

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, the Falcons updated the profile picture on their X and Instagram accounts. According to The Washington Post, the image showed the franchise’s original angular falcon logo against vertical red, white, black and gold stripes. The X post’s caption read “New PFP,” shorthand for “new profile picture,” followed by an eyes emoji.

USA Today reported that the post had been viewed more than 15 million times after it went up.

The look was not invented from scratch. The bird is the logo the Falcons introduced when they began play in 1966, and the stripes mimic those on Atlanta’s original red helmets, the Post reported.

Is this the Falcons’ new logo?

No. A team representative reached by NBC News late Thursday afternoon said the Falcons do not have a “new logo” and declined further comment. USA Today said the team had no comment when it reached out, and the Post reported that neither the Falcons nor the NFL immediately responded to its request for comment.

The image appears tied to this weekend’s game. Atlanta hosts the undefeated San Francisco 49ers (6-0) on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and is set to wear uniforms inspired by its inaugural 1966 season. Citing FOX5 Atlanta, USA Today reported that practice photos appeared to show the old logo on players’ red helmets, with a black jersey and white pants. The Falcons also wore throwback helmets and jerseys several times in 2025, including against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills.

Why are people comparing it to Nazi imagery?

Observers pointed to the black-and-red color scheme combined with a spread-winged bird. USA Today noted that the Nazi eagle, depicted with spread wings holding a wreath and swastika, was a prominent part of the German Nazi Party’s imagery from the 1920s and is closely associated with antisemitism, Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust. NBC News described the striped design as resembling the Reichskriegsflagge, the old German war flag.

Once the comparison spread, the replies filled with World War II jokes. The Post quoted several, including one user who called it “The Bird Reich” and another who wrote, “Falcons were up 28-3 at Dunkirk,” a reference to the team’s infamous Super Bowl collapse.

Did the Falcons mean anything by it?

There is no reporting suggesting any intent beyond a throwback theme. Sports logo historian Chris Creamer told NBC News, “Absolutely there was no ill intent,” and said he couldn’t imagine the team seeking that kind of association.

“It’s throwback weekend for the team, and the social media team just wanted to dress up like the players were going to, and it’s a very common thing that social media accounts do across all sports,” Creamer said. “If a team’s wearing a throwback uniform, usually their profile photo will be updated to match that.”

Creamer also said he likely wouldn’t have noticed the problem before posting, but would have once the replies started pouring in. “At that point, they could have taken it down and tried a different one. At this point, it just sort of seems kind of stubborn to keep it up,” he told NBC News.

What happens next?

The more lasting test comes Sunday, when the throwback uniforms themselves take the field against San Francisco. Whether the Falcons change the profile picture, or say more about it, was not clear as of early Friday. The team had not issued a public statement beyond saying it has no new logo.

FAQ

Did the Atlanta Falcons get a new logo? No. The team told NBC News it does not have a new logo. The image was a social media profile picture built around the franchise’s original 1966 logo.

Why did the Falcons change their profile picture? Atlanta is wearing 1966-inspired uniforms against the 49ers on Oct. 25, and teams often update profile photos to match throwback games, according to logo historian Chris Creamer.

What does the original Falcons logo look like? It’s an angular falcon introduced in 1966. The stripes in the profile picture echo the red helmets from that era, the Washington Post reported.

Have the Falcons worn these throwbacks before? Yes. USA Today reported the team wore the throwback helmets and jerseys multiple times in 2025.