The ongoing labor negotiations between the NFL and its officials reached an impasse earlier this week as the two sides were unable to make any meaningful progress towards a new collective bargaining agreement.

The NFL’s refs are still not full-time employees of the league and are reportedly pushing to up their average annual salary of $350,000 and lower the probationary period. While Roger Goodell and Co. are arguing for more accountability when it comes to poor calls.

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The NFLRA is said to have walked out of it’s last meeting with the league’s representatives on Wednesday. And the NFL has now sent a memo out to all of its teams addressing how it plans to move forward at this time.

Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; NFL referee Shawn Smith during the Arizona Cardinals game against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.

Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; NFL referee Shawn Smith during the Arizona Cardinals game against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.

(© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.)NFL turns up heat on officials with memo to all 32 teams

Per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter: “The NFL issued a memo to clubs this weekend prohibiting public comment on the ongoing CBA negotiation with officials due to what the league says is the sensitivity of the ongoing discussions.”

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Adding, “The memo stressed that while the league has the highest regard for the game officials, officiating must improve, and that the NFL proposal would enhance the ability to hold the officials accountable for their performance while offering generous compensation packages.”

“The union continues to resist those efforts while seeking raises almost double the rate realized by players over their last two collective bargaining agreements and millions in marketing fees.”

“The ongoing dispute between the NFL and the union representing the game officials will be a topic of discussion when club executives, general managers, and head coaches gather at the league meeting in Phoenix, which begins today,” Schefter concluded.

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NFLPA releases statement on stalled referee talks

While the NFL and NFLRA continue to try to wait each other out, players are also affected by these potential labor stalls.

We all remember the replacement refs of 2012, and the league has reportedly begun the process of vetting and hiring officials for the ’26 season if it can’t come to an agreement it’s comfortable with.

That’s led to a statement from the NFL Players Association which said that it is monitoring the situation very closely.

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“This is not just a labor issue between the league and officials,” an NFLPA spokesperson said (via ESPN.com). “This directly impacts the working conditions of our player members. We are closely monitoring the situation.”

Hopefully we never have to relive the horror of the “Fail Mary” ever again. But it sounds like there’s a lot of ground that still needs to be made up before we’re anywhere close to having pro officials back on the field.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Mar 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.