The NFL Players Association is urging the league to reach an agreement with the officials鈥� union to avoid a work stoppage and use of replacement officials.
JC Tretter, the new executive director of the NFLPA, met with Scott Green, the executive director of the NFL Referees Association, and issued a joint statement after meeting on Tuesday.
NFL owners on Tuesday for the upcoming season that would allow the replay center in New York to correct 鈥渃lear and obvious mistakes made by on-field officials that impact the game鈥� in case of a work stoppage involving the NFLRA.
鈥淧layer safety requires trained, professional officials on the field,鈥� Tretter said. 鈥淭hey manage the game in real time, enforce the rules, and stop situations from escalating. That can鈥檛 be replaced by less-experienced crews or handled remotely. If player safety truly matters, trained professional officials on the field are not negotiable.鈥�
The league and the NFLRA have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement since the summer of 2024. The current CBA expires May 31.
鈥淭he negotiations haven鈥檛 progressed the way we hoped from a timing standpoint,鈥� NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at the conclusion of the league鈥檚 annual meeting. 鈥淲e obviously have obligations to fans and everyone in the National Football League to play. We鈥檒l be prepared to play. We鈥檙e taking the appropriate steps to be ready, but we鈥檙e also keenly focused on negotiations.鈥�
The league is moving forward with plans to begin in the next several weeks, two people with knowledge of the discussions have told The Associated Press. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversations are private.
鈥淧rofessional officials are trained to control the game in real time,鈥� Green said. 鈥淭hey are the first responders on the field 鈥� maintaining order, enforcing rules, and preventing dangerous situations from escalating.鈥�
Green added the union remains 鈥渉opeful that an agreement can be reached that avoids past disruptions and ensures the game continues to be officiated at the highest level.鈥�
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