The Atlanta Falcons have come under fire following a profile picture change on social media, with many likening it to 1930s and 1940s German iconography used in the Second World War
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons have sparked significant backlash over a new profile picture design
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The Atlanta Falcons are facing serious heat from the NFL world after strong comparisons were made between their new social media profile picture and the imperial eagle emblem used in 1930s and 1940s Nazi Germany.
The specific graphic, which was shared with fans on Wednesday, features a stylized black falcon logo shaped like an "F" centered over bold, vertical stripes, some of which are red, as the franchise continues its broader 2026 uniform and branding overhaul.
It comes just days after Falcons linebacker Kendal Daniels was stretchered off the field after suffering a scary injury during Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, while Cris Collinsworth sparked fury among Atlanta fans with some "disrespectful" SNF comments.
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On Wednesday, however, attention turned to the franchise itself as it revealed its latest logo on social media, though it didn't quite get the reaction it had hoped for, as fans quickly drew concerning conclusions about what they were seeing.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, many have compared their new profile picture to that of something used in Nazi Germany during World War Two, given the red and black backdrop and the positioning of the eagle on the badge, a specific element fans made abundantly clear.
The top reply under the post reads, "The Bird Reich", as one user made a direct reference to the Third Reich - the official designation used by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to describe the totalitarian dictatorship in Germany from 1933 to 1945.
"Where are you going with this logo?" commented another person, while a third added, "I did Nazi this coming."
Others mocked the new emblems by incorporating them into images of Hitler addressing German soldiers, as well as using them as an armband on Nazi uniforms, highlighting the similarities between the Falcons' design and Germany's former authoritarian regime.
Unfortunately, placing an aggressive black bird emblem directly over high-contrast red vertical stripes has not had the desired effect for the Falcons, due to the heavy mirroring of the color blocking of historical party banners.
However, this isn't the first time this has happened, as the franchise faced similar backlash when updating their profile pictures on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram in 2024 to a minimalist, all-red version of their classic 1960s throwback logo.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have sported several variations of their emblem over the years
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The profile picture was updated to build excitement for a Week 4 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, where the team wore their vintage red helmets and throwback jerseys, yet the design choice immediately went viral for unintended reasons.
Because the social media team used a stark, solid red background paired with the hard, aggressive, angular black lines of the 1966 falcon, thousands of users pointed out that the graphic design had a very severe aesthetic.
Mirror US Sports has reached out to the Atlanta Falcons for comment.