ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reports the NFL is “laying groundwork for hiring replacement officials” for the 2026 season.

18 March 2026

Seifert notes that if the league cannot agree on a new collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Referees Association, replacement officials will be considered for the 2026 season. The league is looking for a list of “about 150 mostly small college officials” in its approach to prepare for not reaching an agreement. This approach is similar to what occurred during the 2012 lockout of officials, which ended after Week 3 of the regular season. The current CBA expires at the end of May, putting a timeline on the NFL’s decision to consider replacement officials.