Get ready for an active NFL officiating off-season

Well we survived the first weekend of no NFL football. The officials are enjoying a “dark period” where the NFL does not communicate with them. It is a nod to the officials as part-time workers and gives them a chance to concentrate on their regular jobs.

While there aren’t any games to break down, we are keeping our eyes on several off-season officiating issues.

1. The union contract is expiring

The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association (NFLRA), expires May 31. If that causes involuntary eye twitches and flashbacks, you remember the 2012 labor dispute – a disastrous lockout strategy by the NFL.

The NFL and NFLRA worked out a union contract in 2019. I fear that it won’t be as easy a negotiating round this year as it was in 2019.

I predict a big sticking point will be over job performance and the grievance process. In the 2019 agreement, the union gave a concession that put a moratorium on filing grievances for officials who were terminated due to performance.

Last season, new officiating boss Ramon George, relegated some officials back to college ranks. He found the officials a landing spot in college, instead of straight up giving them their walking papers.

NFL management will want to have as much power as possible in determining roster makeup and the NFLRA will want to protect all of its members. This could get sticky.

2. Potential rule changes

The Competition Committee meets this off-season to discuss potential rules changes. The game currently is in a good place and it seems like the NFL is content with kickoff rules.

One thing the committee might look at is fighting fouls. It was highlighted during Super Bowl LX. Replay officials cannot intervene over ejection/no ejection unless the officials throw a flag. If the officials don’t throw a flag, instant replay is powerless to step in.

It would not surprise me if the Competition Committee looks at a proposal that allows instant replay to step in and order the ejection of a player who takes a cheap shot and there is no flag. That might open up a can of worms an unintended consequences, so such a rule change is not a done deal – just a prediction by me.

3. At least four new hires

Tom Stephan, Rick Patterson, Terry Brown and Boris Cheek retired after the 2025 season.

There may or may not be more retirements. 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 above, however, made a decision prior to the season that this would be their last.

Check out the spring pro football leagues. It is very possible that those officiating spring football will be working in the NFL this fall.

As of now, there are no expected openings at the referee position, but there could always be surprises – either through retirement or some other circumstance.

4. Looking forward to May 15

May 15 is the NFL Officiating New Year. The NFL sends out “Memo 1” that briefs the officials on new rules, crew assignments and other housekeeping items. The curtain goes down on any communication between the media and the officials.

It is less than three months until Memo 1 and the Hall of Fame Game is August 6, 2026. It will be here before we know it – hopefully with labor peace.