NFL Avoids Replacement Officials, Inks 7-Year Deal with Refs’ Union

Dustin Bradford_Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Warner Todd Huston

The National Football League has prevented a threatened strike with a new seven-year deal with the National Football League Referees Association (NFLRA), which includes a ten percent pay raise for regular games and a 30 percent hike for working the Super Bowl.

The current deal with the union was set to expire on May 31, but with the new deal ratified, the Refs will continue on without a threatened walkout.

Along with the pay bumps, the NFL had hoped to increase the probationary period for new refs from three years to four, but the union batted down the request, and the new contract maintains the previous three-year probation, ESPN reported.

The league had clearly expected a walkout or at least planned for the possible outcome.

A plan had been put in motion to begin training potential replacements for the refs, just in case the May 31 deadline arrived without an agreement in place. The replacement plans have been called off now that the union has ratified the new contract.

NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent praised the agreement.

“This agreement is a testament to the joint commitment of the league and union to invest in and improve officiating. 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,” Vincent said in a statement.

NFLRA executive director Scott Green added, “It was a mutual and determined effort, and the outcome is seven years of certainty for the league and the officials. We appreciate Troy Vincent and [lead negotiator] 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.”

NFLRA president Carl Cheffers insisted that the new contract will “make our game better,” and added, “It is good to get these negotiations behind us so we can focus on preparing for the 2026 season.”

The negotiations took more than two years to reach the new agreement.

The contract will take effect starting in the 2027 season.

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