The NFL will not be turning back the clock to 2012 this time around. Instead of everyone getting angry at replacement officials, fans will soon be irate over the regular officials for the 2026 season and beyond.
On Friday, the NFL and the NFL Referees Association agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement that will last into the 2030s. The previous CBA was set to expire at the end of this month, hence the contingency of having replacement refs prepared a lot sooner than the last time this happened.
“This agreement is a testament to the joint commitment of the league and union to invest in and improve officiating,” said NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent. “It also speaks to the game officials’ relentless pursuit of improvement and officiating excellence. We look forward to working together for the betterment of the game.”
“It was a mutual and determined effort, and the outcome is seven years of certainty for the league and the officials,” said NFLRA Executive Director Scott Green. “We appreciate Troy Vincent and Larry Ferazani and their staff for recognizing that working together to find solutions is the best course of action to reach a long-term agreement.”
One notable thing out of this agreement is the fact that league owners approved major rule changes that would’ve allowed staff members at NFL headquarters in New York City to intervene in instances of clear and obvious officiating errors (including no-calls). This was only to be enacted if replacement officials were utilized, but now that an agreement has been reached we won’t see this for the regular officials.
Anyway, Tate caught it.
