Negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association on a new collective bargaining agreement have progressed far enough that the union has scheduled a ratification vote for Thursday night, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
When formally approved by both sides, the agreement would avoid the need for replacement officials this season. The existing CBA is set to expire May 31.
Specific terms of the agreement were not immediately available. The NFL declined comment, and the NFLRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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The sides negotiated for more than two years but reached a stalemate late this winter. The NFL began recruiting potential replacement officials from the college ranks in early March, and owners approved a sweeping set of rules that would have allowed league staff members to help officiate games from the NFL headquarters in New York City.
Those rules were designed to minimize the type of chaos that occurred when the NFL used replacement officials during a 2012 CBA stalemate. But because they were contingent on the use of replacement officials, the rules approved in March will not apply to the 2026 season, presuming full ratification by May 31.
NFL negotiators hoped to use the looming CBA expiration to make significant changes to the structure of officiating jobs. Owners wanted to increase the probationary periods for new hires, minimize the use of seniority for postseason and decrease the duration of official’s “dark period” after the season, among other goals.
