The NFL is already facing major problems ahead of the new season as its labor dispute with the NFL Referees Association (NFLRA) continues to drag on. Both camps have struggled to come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), and it looks like no one is willing to budge.
If the issue persists, the NFL will be forced to use replacement referees, similar to what it did in 2012 when the NFLRA went on a 110-day strike.
The move was widely panned, as many teams complained about the quality—or lack of it—of the officiating. The last thing the NFL wants is for that to happen again.
However, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave a bleak update about the league's labor row with the NFLRA, as reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
“The negotiations haven't progressed the way we hoped from a timing standpoint,” said Goodell.
The current CBA will expire on May 31.
Amid the issue, team owners on Tuesday approved key changes to the replay review system in preparation for the possibility of using replacement referees for the upcoming season, including giving more power to the command center in New York.
According to a report from ESPN's Kevin Seifert and Kalyn Kahler, there are serious worries about the likelihood of a strike by the NFLRA.
“NFL owners are ‘alarmed' about the state of negotiations, sources said over the weekend, and NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said Tuesday that owners are ‘insistent upon' a new CBA that provides avenues to improve the state of NFL officiating,” said the report.
Goodell has often talked about improving the officiating, stressing that it is part of the league's obligations to the fans.
Several figures have already spoken against using replacement referees, including ESPN's Pat McAfee, who pleaded with the NFL to do everything for “the good of the game.”
