The FAA ground stop on Friday has sent some sports into chaos -- there's a college football game that moved to Sunday (just ask the Oklahoma AD about how he feels about that), and now some NFL officials will have to adjust.
The NFL announced that because of the travel adjustments, officials "within driving distance of their hometowns" will work Week 10 games, with three back-up refs needed.
That means that one referee --- Don Willard -- will have to work two games. He'll be in Indianapolis for the 1 p.m. ET game at Lucas Oil Stadium between the Colts and Miami Dolphins. Then? He'll hop in his car and referee the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Bengals in Cincinnati at 8:20 p.m. ET.
Per the NFL: “Due to the ongoing
nationwide impact to air travel this weekend, the NFL has adjusted its officiating assignments for Week 10 games, reassigning officials to games within driving distance of their hometowns. The changes will necessitate that three back up referees…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 14, 2026
An unexpected event leads to what might be an unprecedented situation.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: FAA ground stop means 1 NFL referee will have rare (and busy) Sunday
