4 officials are retiring after this season

Four NFL officials have submitted their retirement papers prior to 2025 season. Field Judge Terry Brown, down judge Tom Stephan, field judge Rick Patterson, and field judge Boris Cheek will retire after this season.

It is possible more officials will retire from the league once the season comes to an end. Sometimes an off-season doctor’s appointment reveals a health concern that needs immediate care. Sometimes an official is tired of the chronic orthopedic pain and determines that it is time to retire. Sometimes the official’s job requires too much time commitment and he or she has to make the tough choice to retire from the NFL. Or, sometimes the official grows tired of the fast-lane lifestyle of a NFL official. The four listed here, however, made a decision prior to the season that this would be their last.

Two officials will leave the field as part of an exclusive “30 Club.” There are now 9 officials in NFL history who worked 30 NFL seasons.

All four are still eligible for postseason assignments, and may add another game or two to the résumé before hanging up the whistle. The current playoff tallies are shown for each.

Rick Patterson

Rick Patterson is retiring after 30 seasons in the NFL. Patterson has worked as a side judge and field judge his entire career and wore number 15. His distinctive white hair made him easy to pick out downfield.

Patterson began his officiating career in 1980 at the high school level, later ascending to the college ranks and working in the Southern Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference. He is known for his unique touchdown signal, where he faces his palms forward when extending his raised arms.

In his 30 years, Patterson has worked 24 playoff games: 9 Wild Card games, 9 Divisional playoff games, 3 Conference Championships and Super Bowls XXXVII, XXXIX, and LVI. Patterson has worked the second-most number of regular season and postseason games, with Saturday’s game with the Buccaneers and Panthers being his 471st. (This includes all regular season games and on-field postseason games; it does not include Pro Bowls, preseason games, or postseason alternate assignments.) He trails side judge Boris Cheek by 10 games, who is also retiring.

For his final season, he is a member of Brad Allen’s crew.

Boris Cheek

Like Patterson, Cheek is retiring after 30 seasons in the NFL. He has worked either as a side judge or field judge his entire career and wears uniform 41. He now holds the all-time record for NFL games officiated, which at the end of the regular season is 481.

During his 30 years, he has officiated 22 playoff games: 7 Wild Card games, 7 Divisional games, 4 Conference Championships and Super Bowls XLII, 50, LIV, and LIX.

For this season, Cheek is the side judge on Shawn Smith’s crew.

Football Zebras featured Cheek when he set the games-worked record.

Terry Brown

Terry Brown retires after 20 seasons. He has been a field judge and side judge his entire career — with a lone exception — and wore number 43. In 2019, he underwent successful cancer surgery and was able to continue his career on the field.

One game in Brown’s NFL career was an outlier. In 2012, Brown worked at the umpire position instead of a deep wing for a Week 17 matchup. At the time, all final-week games were scheduled for Sunday, and there were two umpires sidelined with injuries. With one crew off that week for reserves, and no ability for an official to pull double duty that week, Brown was called up as an umpire. (Current scheduling has Saturday games that now allow flexibility for an official to work a brutal two-game assignment if absolutely necessary.)

During his 20 seasons he has worked 10 playoff games: 5 Wild Card games, 4 Divisional playoff games, and 1 Conference Championship. He was an alternate for Super Bowl LVII.

This season, he is a member of Scott Novak’s crew.

Tom Stephan

Tom Stephan retires after a 27-year career. He has worked either down judge or line judge his entire career and has worn number 68. Stephan has the third-most seniority of active officials, behind Patterson and Cheek, and ahead of referee Carl Cheffers.

Not counting this season, Stephan has worked 11 playoff games: 7 Wild Card games, 3 Divisional playoff games, and 1 Conference Championship. He was the Super Bowl alternate on three occasions — XLVII, LIII, and LIV.

Stephan, as did all other officials retiring, worked in the NFL Europe, which was used as a way to give officials additional grass time and to offer mentoring opportunities, both receiving and giving.

This season, he is the down judge on Land Clark’s crew.

Lots of experience leaving the field

The four retirees represent an average of 27 years of NFL experience. Congratulations to the retiring officials and congratulations on reaching a pinnacle of officiating!