Arizona Cardinals logo history
The Arizona Cardinals introduced the current cardinal-head logo in 2005. The redesign kept the red bird in profile but sharpened its eye, crest and yellow beak. Heavy black contours give the current mark a more angular expression than the older bird used during the team’s early years in Arizona.
Current Arizona Cardinals logo vs. the old logo
New
Old
The old Cardinals logo is the bird used under the Arizona name from 1994 through 2004. Its rounded eye and longer, softer crest distinguish it from the current drawing.
What does the Cardinals logo represent?
The bird is a cardinal, matching the team’s name. This is the NFL franchise’s single bird-head emblem, distinct from the St. Louis baseball Cardinals’ birds-on-a-bat identity. The black face and yellow beak make the football logo recognizable even without a team wordmark.
When did the Arizona Cardinals start playing?
The franchise traces its roots to Chicago in 1898 and joined the NFL’s predecessor league in 1920. It moved to St. Louis in 1960 and Arizona in 1988. Initially called the Phoenix Cardinals after that move, the team adopted the Arizona Cardinals name in 1994.
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