The NFL is staying ready if it can’t agree to a new contract with the Referees Association.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the league plans to begin hiring replacement officials ahead of the May 31 expiration of its labor deal with the referees’ union. With direction from the owners to “not be unprepared,” the NFL plans to deploy the officials during training camp to ensure they are ready for the 2026 season in the event of a work stoppage.

The NFL has reportedly offered the NFLRA a six-year deal with a 6.45% annual growth rate, while the union is insisting on 10% plus $2.5 million for marketing fees, among other demands. Pelissero also added that the league has proposed making some officials full-time, a move that has been met with “staunch resistance” from the union.

The NFL plans to begin hiring replacement officials before the May 31 expiration of its labor deal and deploy them in training camps to have them ready if no agreement is struck with the NFLRA.

As one source said today: “Our direction (from owners) is not to be unprepared.” pic.twitter.com/XNDv5d8om4

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 30, 2026RELATED: Avoiding Another 2012: Why the NFL and Its Officials Must Get This Negotiation Right

As reported by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer last week, the union is pushing back on several changes that the NFL would like to make, including shortening the offseason’s post-Super Bowl dead period from May 15 to some time in April, adding additional performance standards, and extending the probation period for new officials from three to four years. From the league’s perspective, Pelissero noted, the union “wants officials to make substantially more money without any substantive changes to their jobs or hours and with a system that rewards seniority, not performance.”

The last time talks between the NFL and NFLRA broke down to this extent was in 2012, an impasse that resulted in a 110-day lockout from June 1 to Sept. 29. The work stoppage crept into the first three weeks of the season and brought with it several on-field gaffes from replacement officials, most notably the “Fail Mary” incident between the Packers and Seahawks.

Here’s hoping this can get resolved sooner rather than later.

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