The NFL is staying ready if it can’t agree to a new contract with the Referees Association.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the league plans to begin hiring replacement officials ahead of the May 31 expiration of its labor deal with the referees' union. With direction from the owners to “not be unprepared,” the NFL plans to deploy the officials during training camp to ensure—in the event of a work stoppage—that they are ready for the 2026 season.
The NFL has reportedly offered the NFLRA a six-year deal with a 6.45% annual growth rate, while the union is insisting on 10% plus $2.5 million for marketing fees, among other demands. Pelissero also added that the league has proposed making some officials full-time, a move that has been met with “staunch resistance” from the union.
RELATED: Avoiding Another 2012: Why the NFL and Its Officials Must Get This Negotiation Right
As reported by Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer last week, the union is pushing back on several changes the NFL would like to make, including shortening the offseason’s post-Super Bowl dead period from May 15 to April, adding additional performance standards, and extending the probation period for new officials from three to four years. From the league’s perspective, Pelissero noted, the union “wants officials to make substantially more money without any substantive changes to their jobs or hours and with a system that rewards seniority, not performance.”
The last time talks between the NFL and NFLRA broke down to this extent was in 2012, an impasse that resulted in a 110-day lockout from June 1 to Sept. 29. The work stoppage crept into the first three weeks of the season and brought with it several on-field gaffes from replacement officials, most notably the “Fail Mary” incident between the Packers and Seahawks.
Here’s to hoping this can get resolved sooner rather than later.
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MIKE KADLICK
Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.
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