Which NFL team was originally called the Boston Patriots?

The New England Patriots were originally called the Boston Patriots. The franchise was founded in 1959 as one of the eight original teams of the American Football League, and local fans selected “Boston Patriots” as the team’s name.

The Patriots played in several Boston-area venues during their early years, including Boston University Field, Fenway Park, Harvard Stadium, and Boston College’s Alumni Stadium. When the AFL and NFL merged in 1970, the team remained in the Boston region but moved to Foxborough the following year. The franchise first proposed “Bay State Patriots,” but the NFL rejected that name.

On March 22, 1971, the team announced the geographic name “New England Patriots,” reflecting its wider regional identity. The change did not represent a new franchise; it was the same organization founded as the Boston Patriots. The team’s “Pat Patriot” logo also dates to the early AFL era and was created by Boston Globe artist Phil Bissell.