NFL avoids replacement refs for 2026 season
The new NFLRA CBA reportedly brings raises — and more accountability.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 16: Aaron Rodgers #8 and Will Howard #18 of the Pittsburgh Steelers tatk with referee Bill Vinovich #52 prior to a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images Less than a month before its current CBA was set to expire, the NFL and the NFL Referees Association ratified a new seven-year agreement Friday, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert and Kalyn Kahler reported . Notably, the agreement means the league will not be using replacement referees in the upcoming 2026 season.
The ESPN article notes that the new agreement includes “significant raises” for officials, along with more ways to gauge the performance of officials and increase accountability. “The league will get increased access to officials in the offseason for a formal training program during minicamps, training camps and joint practices,” the article reads. “The NFL will also develop a bench of officials and will have greater latitude to use performance metrics for postseason assignments rather than seniority.
” The “bench” indicates the NFL will have referees available to replace underperforming ones in-season. As part of the new deal with referees, the NFL is creating a bench/developmental pool of officials that can potentially be called up if active referees are underperforming. https://t.
co/Nu54ShWOlH — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 8, 2026 The full details of the new CBA are not yet released.