NFL begins onboarding replacement officials as referee labor deal nears expiration: report

The NFL has reportedly begun onboarding replacement officials in case their unionized referees are not available.

The Athletic reported that teams were issued a memo by league officials Wednesday to inform them that potential replacements had undergone or were undergoing background checks.

The outlet reported that the officials have worked at the NCAA level in all divisions, and physical examinations will follow.

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The NFL Referees Association is aiming for a new labor deal, and teams were told to expect replacement officials at practices if a deal is not reached by June 1. The current deal between the NFLRA and league expires May 31, and the league and the NFLRA have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement since the summer of 2024. 

"Throughout the process, we will continue to solicit your feedback on the performance of the potential replacement officials as we finalize the game official roster for training camp and preseason games," Perry Fewell, the league's senior vice president of officiating, wrote in the memo, via ESPN.

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"The negotiations haven’t progressed the way we hoped from a timing standpoint," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at the conclusion of the league’s annual meeting. "We obviously have obligations to fans and everyone in the National Football League to play. We’ll be prepared to play. We’re taking the appropriate steps to be ready, but we’re also keenly focused on negotiations."

Replacement officials were used to start the 2012 season, and arguably the most infamous result of that was the "Fail Mary" in Seattle, when the Seahawks won on a controversial simultaneous possession ruling on a late-game end zone play.

Last year, the NFL signaled its intent to strengthen officiating through greater accountability and performance standards, saying it "remained focused on implementing changes to the agreement in ways that will improve the performance of our game officials, increase accountability and ensure that the highest-performing officials are officiating our highest profile games."

The NFLRA has reportedly resisted at least some proposed changes, prioritizing the status quo.

Fox News' Chantz Martin contributed to this report.

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