Earlier this week, while the ongoing labor negotiations between the NFL and the NFLRA hit a roadblock, there was plenty that both sides had to discuss. With the current labor deal between the NFL and the NFLRA set to expire on May 31, the league has already presented what appears to be a significant proposal for a new deal to the union. But as per the latest reports, the response from the NFL officials’ union suggests that the two sides remain far apart in their negotiations.

“The NFL has offered its game officials a six-year labor deal with a 6.45% annual growth rate in compensation, while the NFLRA is insisting on 10% plus $2.5 million for marketing fees the league regards as worthless, sources say,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported via X on March 29. “The union also continues to resist changes the NFL is insisting upon, including shortening the “dark period” after the Super Bowl, deploying underperforming officials to spring leagues for extra reps, and ending a seniority-based system for playoff assignments. “We want to pay for performance,” a source said.”

In simple terms, the NFL is offering steady salary growth over six years, while the union wants a significantly larger annual increase along with additional marketing-related compensation. As per Pelissero, another major point of disagreement in the negotiation talks now involves the NFL’s proposal to shorten the offseason ‘dark period’ for the referees.

Currently, after the Super Bowl, the NFL cannot contact officials until May 15. But the NFL reportedly wants to move that date up to April to allow more offseason training and evaluation.

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Pelissero also reported that the NFL is exploring the idea of making some officials full-time employees. The NFL believes that full-time officials would allow more development opportunities and provide additional offseason training for those who need improvement. However, the NFLRA has strongly resisted this proposal.

The NFL also wants to move away from a system where seniority determines playoff assignments and instead reward officials based on how well they perform during the season. From the NFL’s perspective, the issue comes down to accountability. Sources from the NFL’s side believe that the union wants higher pay without agreeing to changes that emphasize performance and evaluation.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer previously reported that the NFLRA is pushing back on several other proposals as well. These include adding new performance standards, shortening the post-Super Bowl dead period, and extending the probationary period for new NFL officials from three years to four. With negotiations stalled, the NFL is already preparing for the possibility of a work stoppage. And that preparation could look familiar to NFL fans.

“The NFL plans to begin hiring replacement officials before the May 31 expiration of its labor deal and deploy them in training camps to have them ready if no agreement is struck with the NFLRA. As one source said today: ‘Our direction (from owners) is not to be unprepared,’” Tom Pelissero reported through another X post.

This week, ESPN reported that the NFL has already contacted around 150 college officials as potential replacement refs for the 2026 season. According to Pelissero, the NFL plans to train these refs during the offseason and at training camps. If the CBA negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the NFL could begin recruiting these refs as early as next month.

Why did the CBA talks stall between the NFL and the NFLRA?

The labor negotiations between the NFL and the NFLRA were supposed to move both sides closer to a new agreement this offseason. But while both the NFL and the NFLRA scheduled two days of negotiations, the meeting reportedly lasted just three hours. According to NFLRA executive director Scott Green, it was the league’s approach that left little room for negotiation.

“We offered a counter to the most recent proposal, which was rejected,” Green said in a press statement. “We asked that they respond to our offer with the goal of making forward progress. We then learned that no one in their delegation was authorized to negotiate beyond their original proposal, and at that time they chose to leave, after less than half a day of talks.”

Meanwhile, sources told ESPN that in the CBA talks, the union refused to discuss one of the NFL’s main priorities: improving the league’s officiating. Later, in his statement, NFL executive VP Jeff Miller also pushed back strongly on the NFLRA’s stance. Miller made it clear that the NFL remains open to continued negotiations with the NFLRA but insists it must prepare for the upcoming season regardless of the outcome.

“We continue to focus on investing in accountability and performance in our officiating,” Miller said in a statement. “[NFLRA executive director] Scott [Green] and his team haven’t changed their approach in almost two years, continuing to demand raises at almost double the rates of the increases realized by the players over the course of this CBA and, in addition, millions of dollars in marketing fees that rank-and-file union members never see.”

“We are ready to continue negotiations to reach a fair and reasonable agreement, but in the meantime, while the union refuses to engage in a meaningful way, we will continue to prepare for the expiration of the current agreement because we will be playing football in August.”

Ultimately, this situation marks the most serious labor conflict between the NFL and NFLRA since the 2012 lockout, when replacement refs made several controversial calls, including the infamous ‘Fail Mary’ play in Seattle. Therefore, the NFL and the NFLRA will need to reach common ground before May 31, or the league will once again have to risk seeing history repeat itself.