New NFL Rumors on Referee Negotiations Revealed in Memo, Latest Holdups in CBA Talks

Amid the NFL's ongoing CBA negotiations with officials, the league sent a memo to teams prohibiting public comments on those talks, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The prohibition is "due to what the league says is the sensitivity of the ongoing discussions," according to Schefter.

"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," Schefter wrote.

The NFL and NFL Referees Association have been negotiating a new CBA since the summer of 2024, and the current deal is set to expire in May. CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported earlier this week that the two sides "do not appear any closer on a deal." Jones added that one source "said the referee union refused to engage in ways to improve officiating performance" during talks.

The league reportedly is already making contingency plans if an agreement isn't reached. ESPN's Kevin Seifert noted earlier this month that the NFL has reached out to college officiating supervisors to compile a list of around 150 replacement referees that would step in if a deal isn't made.

"To help mitigate their inexperience at the NFL level, the league's competition committee is finalizing a series of contingent rule changes that would allow league employees at the Art McNally Gameday Central command center in New York City to enforce health and safety penalties, among others, sources said -- an aggressive move toward centralized officiating after years of small steps," Seifert wrote.

Additionally, the NFL reportedly is discussing possible rule changes, like "centralizing some of officiating functions in NY and expanding the use of technology" if a new CBA is not agreed upon, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported in February.

It wouldn't be the first time the NFL hired replacement refs, as the league brought in officials from college and high school football during the 2012 season amid a labor dispute with the NFL Referees Association. The two sides reached an agreement a few weeks into the season.