The NFL is set to draw up a list of potential replacement officials in the event it fails to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with referees before the start of next season.
According to emails seen by ESPN, league officials are already laying the groundwork amid fears of a potential referee strike in 2026.
They are reportedly looking for a list of about 150 mostly small college officials by the end of this weekend, allowing them to begin onboarding as early as April before attending a four-day clinic in May.
Barring a CBA agreement, with the current terms expiring at the end of May, they would continue preparing through the summer and make visits to training camps before the regular season gets underway in September.
Nevertheless, this is not new territory for the NFL. The proposed approach is similar to the one it carried out back in 2012, when a lockout of officials lasted 110 days before ending after the third week of the regular season.
The NFL is set to draw up a list of potential replacement officials in the event of a referee strike
Yet the NFL Referees Association has highlighted two major problems with the contingency plan for 2026.
One potential issue, according to NFLRA executive director Scott Green, is that replacement officials taken from lower leagues would be more vulnerable to gamblers.
Green also claimed the safety of players would be at risk in games covered by referees who have never experienced the size and speed of an NFL game.
Back in 2012, the NFL’s use of replacement officials from lower-level colleges and minor professional leagues was heavily criticized after a game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers ended in chaos.
The Seahawks were granted a controversial 14-12 victory thanks to an infamous ‘Fail Mary’ ruling after Russell Wilson threw a Hail Mary pass to wide receiver Golden Tate in the end zone.
Officials on the night failed to spot an offensive pass interference penalty that should have negated the touchdown, drawing the ire of fans, players, coaches and the media.
‘Frankly, I’m surprised they would even consider it after 2012,’ Green said about the NFL potentially hiring replacement officials again this year.
The prospect of another referee strike has not gone down well online, with former NFL punter and ESPN star Pat McAfee writing on X: ‘NOPE WE CAN’T BE DOING REPLACEMENT HIGH SCHOOL REFS IN THE NFL AGAIN’.
Back in 2012, a referee lockout in the NFL led to the infamous ‘Fail Mary’ decision (pictured)
Officials drafted in from lower leagues failed to spot a pass interference call which should have negated a game-winning Seahawks touchdown
McAfee added: ‘@NFL time to start the retired player pipeline.. FOR THE GOOD OF BALL’.
Retired quarterback Chase Daniel also said on the platform: ‘This is the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE…..we can’t be doing the replacement refs thing again.
‘Even considering this again is insane. We already saw how that played out in 2012—and it took one national TV disaster to fix it. This isn’t just about missed calls….It impacts protections, tempo, communication… you’re not tweaking officiating, you’re changing the entire game.’
Earlier this month ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed ‘frustration is mounting’ among NFL owners over the state of negotiations with the NFLRA.
The NFL said last year it ‘remained focused on implementing changes to the agreement in ways that will improve the performance of our game officials, increase accountability, and ensure that the highest-performing officials are officiating our highest profile games.’
The NFLRA, meanwhile, is looking to preserve the status quo or roll back the league’s access to working with officials.
