New NFL Rumors Reveal 'Indications' of Progress in Talks with Refs Around CBA Negotiations

There are signs of progress that the NFL and the NFL Referees Association can come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement.

"The NFL distributed crew assignments to referees this week amid indications of continued progress toward a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Referees Association," ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported on Wednesday.

"The assignments did not include any of the replacement officials the league has onboarded and vetted in preparation for a potential lockout. The league's officiating department has planned to start training those replacement officials beginning Friday. The existing CBA between the sides is due to expire May 31."

Perry Fewell, the league's senior vice president of officiating, had informed teams in an April 15 memo that the league had started onboarding potential replacement officials, per Seifert.

As Seifert also noted, owners passed rule changes to give league staffers at NFL headquarters in New York City "broad authority" to assist in officiating games via video to help out replacement referees.

However, on April 10, there was some positive news regarding the negotiations, per Seifert.

The NFL and NFLRA last engaged in a CBA standoff in 2012, leading to replacement officials handling the first three weeks of the season. It did not go particularly well, and that stretch was capped by the infamous "Fail Mary" game.

This time around, the NFL has gotten ahead on organizing and training replacement officials in case the same thing happens.

"To expect people to jump from college to the pros and change in speed in that short of time is destined to be a challenge to succeed," a league source told Seifert and ESPN's Kalyn Kahler. "We're not going to do that.

"There will be no panic, and we have begun preparations for the expiration. We have to do it. Otherwise, it would be just gross negligence."

The NFL appears to have a Plan B ready to go, but there does seem to be progress toward the league not having to go that route.