For the 20th season of NFL PLAY 60, 15 NFL club mascots have been named mascot ambassadors by the National Football League and the American Heart Association. The ambassadors will work to encourage children to achieve a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day. The campaign is grounded in the Association’s physical activity guidance and highlights benefits for both physical and mental health.
The 2026 NFL PLAY 60 mascot ambassadors are:
These recognizable characters are intended to bring team spirit and visibility to the PLAY 60 initiative in local communities and schools.
NFL PLAY 60 supports evidence-based guidance that regular physical activity benefits learning and classroom behavior. The American Heart Association emphasizes that students who are active tend to learn better, maintain focus, think more clearly, react to stress more calmly and show improved performance and behavior in school. The program’s central goal is to reduce sedentary behavior and promote immediate and long-term health benefits by motivating children to move more each day.
Mascot ambassadors will promote exercise ideas, healthy habit choices and school spirit throughout the academic year. Their role includes bringing excitement to program activities, sharing quick movement ideas, and serving as visible supporters of the PLAY 60 message in NFL markets and beyond. The ambassadors are intended to make program content more engaging and accessible to students.
NFL PLAY 60 complements the American Heart Association’s in-school programs, Kids Heart Challenge™ and American Heart Challenge™, by offering resources for activity at school and home. The integrated programs include learning modules that cover personal health, being a good friend, supporting community service and other lessons designed for classroom use. Families can also join the NFL PLAY 60 Family Challenge to encourage activity together at home.
The NFL supported the Kids Heart Challenge’s CPR instruction with an introduction video by Damar Hamlin, Nation of Lifesavers™ National Ambassador and Buffalo Bills safety. Students who complete Hands-Only CPR instruction and Finn’s Mission earn entries for a drawing with prizes tied to Super Bowl LXII on February 1, 2027, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The program will draw five individual student winners for two Super Bowl tickets each, and five participating schools will receive $10,000 fitness equipment makeovers. Entries are available to students completing Finn’s Mission; parents and administrators are directed to heart.org/jointhechallenge for participation details.
The NFL PLAY 60 Exercise Library features two- to three-minute on-demand exercise videos from each of the 32 NFL clubs. These short videos are intended for use when outdoor play is not possible, to help students refocus in the classroom, or to add a fitness break to the day and contribute minutes toward the daily movement goal of 60 minutes. Mascot ambassadors appear in program materials and in these resources to increase engagement.
Information on NFL PLAY 60 resources is available online at heart.org/NFLPLAY60. Schools, parents and caregivers can find exercise ideas, family challenge activities and instructions for Hands-Only CPR through the Kids Heart Challenge portal at heart.org/jointhechallenge. Resources are designed for use both in-school and at home to support continuous daily activity and health education.
The announcement reiterates a long-standing partnership between the NFL and the American Heart Association that began in 2006. Over 20 seasons, NFL PLAY 60 has evolved to meet children’s needs, delivering programs and resources in NFL markets and beyond to reduce sedentary behaviors and promote healthier lifestyles. The American Heart Association provides the scientific and programmatic foundation for the initiative, and the NFL amplifies reach through club partnerships and mascot engagement.
For media inquiries, the release listed an American Heart Association contact and for public inquiries directed readers to the Association’s main contact number and websites noted above.