Our 10 favorite pairings from the NFL’s Champion collaboration with Disney

The NFL may already be the most successful sports league in the country, but that doesn’t prevent it from marketing to people who extend beyond the average football fan. That has often included pop-culture collaborations such as game broadcasts with Nickelodeon and recent alternative broadcasts with “The Simpsons” and “Monsters, Inc.”

This week, the NFL unveiled a merchandise collection in which the league joined with Disney, Champion and Fanatics to pair each team with a different character from Disney, Pixar, Marvel or “Star Wars.” In alphabetical order, here’s a look at 10 of our favorites.

Atlanta Falcons: The Millennium Falcon from “Star Wars”

Given his speed and toughness, it’s easy to think of Falcons running back Bijan Robinson as the perfect NFL representation of the Millennium Falcon. But if we zoom out and compare the Falcons franchise to the Millennium Falcon, that also tracks. They were badly beaten up in the Battle of Endor, better known in this analogy as Super Bowl 51, and yet they managed to come back and carry on. — Saad Yousuf

Cleveland Browns: Disney’s Pluto 

Two main dogs appeared in Disney’s original, early 1930s animated films: Pluto and Goofy. And while I can see the argument that the latter, clumsier of the two, would be more fitting for a Browns franchise that can’t seem to make a good decision, hear me out. Pluto is the loyal companion of Mickey Mouse, and in a world with talking mice, ducks and dogs, Pluto is the only ordinary animal. Just like the Browns, Pluto is stuck behind his peers, walking on all fours and barking instead of walking and talking. The Browns can’t seem to evolve from a revolving quarterback situation that has featured 42 different starters since 1999. And the organization’s recent decision-making hasn’t looked promising. — Jayna Bardahl

Dallas Cowboys: Disney and Pixar’s Woody

It makes sense to give the Cowboys one of the most popular cowboys in recent film history. Woody is one of many toys, but he can be stingy when it comes to sharing Andy’s affection, much like the way the Cowboys treat the NFL spotlight. Woody is one of the central characters in “Toy Story,” a film that found success in the ’90s and then rode the coattails of that success ever since. Sound familiar? — Yousuf

Detroit Lions: Disney’s Simba

Obviously, this is one of the easier character alignments, pairing a lion with, well, a Lion. But this becomes even more fun if you choose to think of Lions head coach Dan Campbell as Simba. See, tight end Dan Campbell, aka baby Simba, was a Detroit Lion for three seasons. He got a glimpse of the kingdom, but it wasn’t his time. Then, he went away for a while. When he returned, Mufasa, played by quarterback Matthew Stafford in this analogy, was no longer in power. It was time for Simba to take over and bring a new sense of hope to the kingdom. — Yousuf

Kansas City Chiefs: Disney’s Big Bad Wolf 

When you make it to seven consecutive conference championship games and advance to the Super Bowl five of those times, you’re probably going to be viewed as the Big Bad Wolf. Add in the whole Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift extravaganza, and the team is just primed for villain territory. The cherry on top here is ChiefsAholic, the Chiefs superfan named Xaviar Babudar, who first became famous for wearing a gray wolf suit to games and then became infamous for committing a string of bank robberies or attempted robberies across the country. — Yousuf

Las Vegas Raiders: Darth Vader from “Star Wars”

Fernando Mendoza is Anakin Skywalker, a gifted young quarterback (Jedi Knight) declared the No. 1 pick, or “Chosen One.” Now, you just hope he doesn’t get too swept away by the dark side in Sin City. Luckily for Raiders fans, the 22-year-old Mendoza is staying away from the Las Vegas Strip and keeping his focus on the field. — Bardahl 

Minnesota Vikings: Marvel’s Thor 

“Skol” personified. The Vikings’ pairing with Thor is one of the most fitting on the list. His long, blonde hair and super strength match perfectly with the Vikings’ aesthetic, and his mythical Mjölnir hammer is just as iconic as Minnesota’s custom-built Gjallarhorn, used to ignite the “Skol” chant at home games. Forgive me for not being a Marvel expert, but upon some research, I learned that Thor’s enemy is his adoptive brother Loki. Their relationship tugs between intense rivalry, betrayal and deep affection. It feels like we can compare that relationship to the Vikings’ experience with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the young quarterback who the franchise obviously wanted to succeed, but who seems stuck in a battle for playing time. — Bardahl

New York Giants: Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph 

Wreck-It Ralph is supposed to be the big, bad villain inside his arcade game world. But despite his exterior (9 feet tall, 600-plus pounds), he struggles with that identity and proves to be gentle and sensitive on the inside. It’s a similar identity crisis to the one the Giants face. One of the league’s storied franchises, based in a glamour market, the Giants want to be feared. But two winning seasons in the past 10 years, plus four coaching changes in that span (excluding interims), have them looking vulnerable. And just for fun, Wreck-It Ralph’s player comp is Cam Skattebo, the ball-of-muscle running back who can bulldoze across the field like Ralph destroys buildings. — Bardahl

New York Jets: Disney and Pixar’s Buzz Lightyear

The official rationale given is: “Speed, flight, and confidence — anchored in aviation roots.” For me, the comedic aspect here is built entirely on irony. In the first “Toy Story,” Buzz insists that he can fly, but after his flashy, illusional attempt, Woody remarks, “That wasn’t flying. That was falling with style.”It seems as though Woody (also the name of Jets owner Woody Johnson) may have given the Jets a slogan befitting the franchise with the NFL’s longest active postseason drought. — Yousuf

Seattle Seahawks: Disney and Pixar’s “Mine, Mine, Mine” Seagulls

What the ESPN release describes as a “playful nod to the Pacific Northwest ‘locals’” could be taken as a slight insult by some Seahawks fans. The nameless, “Mine, Mine, Mine” seagulls from “Finding Nemo” are beloved for their humor, but they lack the strength and smarts of the reigning Super Bowl champs. Plus, the comparison could be a nagging reminder that some rival fanbases mockingly call the Seahawks the “seagulls.” A commonly referenced 2018 survey by Kroon Casino found that 72 percent of Europeans believed there was an NFL team named the Seattle Seagulls. The Seahawks might actually prefer to separate themselves from this one. Though if we could offer a suggestion: Have the seagulls calling out “mine, mine, mine” while surrounding last season’s Lombardi Trophy. — Bardahl