New NFL Rumors on 'Progressed' CBA Talks with Officials Union amid Plans for Replacement Ref

As the deadline nears for the NFL and the NFL Referees Association to reach a new collective bargaining agreement, the two sides reportedly have gotten closer to a deal.

Per ESPN's Kevin Seifert and Kalyn Kahler, negotiations between the two sides "have progressed far enough that the union has scheduled a ratification vote Thursday night."

The league would no longer have to use replacement officials for the 2026 campaign if the new CBA is formally approved by both the NFL and the NFL Referees Association. The deadline to reach a new agreement is May 31.

The details of the new agreement are not yet available.

Negotiations between the two sides have lasted more than two years, and things came to a standstill this winter, which led to the NFL looking into replacement referees from the high school and college level.

The league informed teams earlier this month that potential replacement referees were being onboarded. Those refs were set to be available for OTAs and minicamps if an agreement was not reached.

The NFL turned to replacement refs in 2012 when the two sides could not come to an agreement in time for the start of the season, and that stretch was not exactly a success. Had it needed replacement refs, the league looked to avoid a similar situation as last time.

"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 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."

Seifert reported last week that the league "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," noting that replacement officials were not included in any of the assignments.

Now, the two sides are even closer to reaching a new deal, and it seems the NFL will have its typical officials available in 2026.