The NFL and the NFL Referees Association have reached a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement that avoids a potential work stoppage and the possible use of replacement officials.
The agreement, which was approved by the union’s board of directors and ratified by a vote of the membership, runs through the 2032 NFL season. It was announced Friday, although detailed terms weren’t released.
“We see this new CBA as a partnership with the league that benefits our membership but also seeks to make our game better,” union president Carl Cheffers said. “It is good to get these negotiations behind us so we can focus on preparing for the 2026 season.”
This year’s “NFL Kickoff” game is set for Wednesday, Sept. 9, and will be hosted by the Seattle Seahawks, although the reigning Super Bowl champions’ opponent has not been revealed. The NFL announced Friday that it will release its full 2026 schedule next Thursday.
The NFL’s current CBA with the union had been set to expire May 31, and the two sides began negotiating in the summer of 2024. The league began the onboarding process for replacement officials last month because negotiations weren’t progressing, but now they won’t be necessary.
The league and the union said in a joint release that the deal covers a wide range of issues including economics, performance and accountability.
“This agreement is a testament to the joint commitment of the league and union to invest in and improve officiating,” said Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations. “It also speaks to the game officials’ relentless pursuit of improvement and officiating excellence. We look forward to working together for the betterment of the game.”
The NFL had sought increased access to officials in the offseason, a practice squad or bench of officials, a new formal training program and control of playoff assignments based on performance. A person with knowledge of the new deal told The Associated Press those priorities were met in the agreement. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because contract details weren’t publicized.
A stalemate in 2012 resulted in a 110-day lockout, and replacement referees were used.
That led to several high-profile mistakes, including the so-called “Fail Mary” play when Russell Wilson completed a desperation pass to Golden Tate in the closing seconds to lift the Seahawks to a win over the Green Bay Packers in a “Monday Night Football” matchup.
Tate pushed off, so he should have been penalized for offensive pass interference. He appeared to wrestle the ball away from a Green Bay defender and was given credit for a catch, even though two officials had called it differently.
There weren’t as many glaring errors when the NFL also used replacement officials for one week of preseason exhibition games and the opening week of the regular season in 2001 before the labor dispute was resolved shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the regular officials returned in time when the season resumed after a one-week break.
Full schedule on the way next week
NEW YORK — The NFL’s announcement Friday about the upcoming publication of the 2026 schedule in line with the past couple of years, when the schedule has been released during the second week of May.
The league already has announced that the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers will meet during the first week in Melbourne, Australia. The game will be shown in prime time in the United States at 8:35 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, Sept. 10. Melbourne is 14 hours ahead of New York, meaning the game will kick off at 10:35 a.m. the next day in Australia.
Also previously announced is a game between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that will take place Sept. 27 during the third week of the season. The other seven international matchups will be revealed at 9 a.m. Wednesday on “Good Morning Football” on NFL Network.
Dates for other key games are expected to filter out during the week. Typically, networks announce one of their showcase games during so-called up-fronts to advertisers.
As for the “NFL Kickoff” matchup featuring the Seahawks, the league could opt for an immediate Super Bowl LX rematch because the New England Patriots scheduled to visit Seattle at some point this season. Last year, the Super Bowl LIX rematch between the Kansas City and the Philadelphia Eagles took place the second week of the regular season.
Other likely possibilities to visit Seattle in the opener include the Chiefs, the Chicago Bears, the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Former Falcons QB from Atlanta retires
Journeyman quarterback Taylor Heinicke, whose unique path to the NFL helped him become a fan favorite in Washington, has retired from the league.
The 33-year-old Heinicke posted a goodbye message on social media Thursday in which he thanked supporters from his seven NFL seasons.
In addition to his time with the NFL’s club in the D.C. area from 2020-22 — it was known first as the Washington Football Team and then the Washington Commanders while he was there — Heinicke also spent time with the Minnesota Vikings (2015-17), the Patriots (2017), the Houston Texans (2017), the Carolina Panthers (2018), the Atlanta Falcons (2023) and the Chargers (2024).
The Atlanta native was best known for his Washington tenure, which included a 7-8 record while making 15 starts in 2021. His time with the team started when he was signed to the practice squad in December 2020 as an emergency quarterback amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He was separated from the other three quarterbacks on Washington’s roster in case any of them tested positive for the virus and couldn’t play per league protocols at the time.
Heinicke had been sleeping on his sister’s couch in his hometown and taking online classes to complete a degree at Old Dominion, where he played college football, when Washington called. His previous stop had been as a backup in the XFL in 2019.
He ended up starting for Washington a month after his arrival, throwing for 306 yards and a touchdown and running for a score in a 31-23 playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who went were in their first year with Tom Brady as quarterback and went on to win that season’s Super Bowl. It was enough to earn him a full-time job the following year.
“Many ups and downs throughout the years, but the ups outweigh the downs tenfold,” Heinicke wrote. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would’ve been able to live this life. … Excited for this next chapter of my life.”
Heinicke played one season for the Falcons after leaving Washington and one with the Chargers, attempting a total of five passes while playing in five games. They released him last August, and he went unsigned.
He started 30 NFL games, including that playoff loss, and threw for 6,969 yards with 40 touchdowns and 29 interceptions during his career. He also ran for three scores.