Cardinals Primary Logo
In terms of longevity, there are a few teams that have stood the test of time, like the Arizona Cardinals. Believe it or not, this franchise has been around since 1898. The franchise was first formed in 1898 as a team called the Morgan Athletic Club. The Morgan Athletic Club was an amateur team based in Chicago. The team operated independently for 21 years before becoming a charter member of the NFL as the Racine Cardinals. They’ve had quite a nomadic run. The franchise was located in Chicago and St Louis before finding its current home in Phoenix as the Phoenix Cardinals. 6 years after moving to Pheonix, the franchise changed their geographic name.
The Cardinals won 2 NFL championships before the NFL’s merger with the AFL. Great players such as Larry Fitzgerald, Dan Dierdorf, Kurt Warner, and Aeneas Williams have suited up.  With such a vast history, there is no doubt the franchise’s logo history will be quite vast.  Â
Many Cardinals fans will be interested to know that the first logo has a wishbone logo that is reminiscent of the Chicago Bears. This makes sense because the franchise was located in Chicago then.  Â
The franchise would undergo quite a few logo changes for the first five decades of its experience. In 1970, the franchise would release the first version of its red cardinal head logo. Over the years, it has undergone quite a few modifications.Â
This logo history page will be sure to spark the brand loyalty that Cardinals fans have with their organization.
2005 - Present
In January 2005, the team unveiled its first major changes in a century. The red cardinal head logo was updated to look sleeker and meaner than the previous cardinal head. The beak was changed from gold to yellow, heavier black outlines were added and this bird is significantly more aggressive looking than the previous bird. Numerous fans had called the previous version a “parakeet.”
1994 - 2004
Slight changes as the city Phoenix changes to the state of Arizona. The Cardinals become the “Arizona Cardinals.”
1988 - 1993
Slight variation of the cardinal head in 1988 for the move to Phoenix.
1970 - 1987
In 1970 the logo came to be the streamlined version of the cardinal head with an attitude. The Cardinals logo was designed by Verlander Design.
1960 - 1961
In 1960 the Cardinals logo changed to a red muscled Cardinal carrying a football in a football uniform running.
1947 - 1959
Starting in 1947, the Cardinal’s logo is a brown and black cardinal perched on the stitches of a white with black outline football.
1944
In 1944 the Steelers merged with the Chicago Cardinals and were known as “CARD-PITT” and informally known as the “Car-Pitts” or “Carpets.” The Steelers went solo again for the 1945 season.
1920 - 1934
The 1920’s Chicago Cardinals logo had an interlocking “CC” logo with a wishbone “C” and a regular “C” in red.