(Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

The NFL avoided taking a penalty before the 2026 season even began by reaching a seven-year collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Referees Association on Friday that will run through the 2032 season.

The referee's union ratified the new CBA when a vote was taken during a Thursday meeting of NFLRA members and the group's board of directors. The current deal was set to expire May 31.

Details of the new deal were not reported. According to the NFL, the new CBA covers 'economics, performance and accountability.'

'This agreement is a testament to the joint commitment of the league and union to invest in and improve officiating,' NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said in a statement. '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 agreement avoids the need for replacement referees to start the 2026 season, which begins Sept. 9 when the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks play host to the opening game.

In a 2012 game between the Green Bay Packers and Seahawks with replacement officials, Seattle won on a last-second pass to the end zone where players from both teams were deemed to have simultaneous possession. But the NFL later admitted that a Seahawks offensive pass interference penalty was missed that would have given the Packers the victory.

After using replacement officials for the first two weeks of the 2012 season, the league ended the lockout of officials two days after the Packers-Seahawks game.

'We see this new CBA as a partnership with the league that benefits our membership but also seeks to make our game better,' NFLRA president Carl Cheffers said Friday. 'It is good to get these negotiations behind us so we can focus on preparing for the 2026 season.'

Negotiations to reach the new agreement with referees were lengthy.

Two years of talks led only to a stalemate last winter and the NFL was preparing for the prospect of replacement referees for the 2026 season. The league reportedly began compiling a list of replacements -- mostly from the low-college ranks -- with plans to start training them this month.

Both the NFL Players Association and the NFLRA voiced concerns about player safety if replacement referees were used.

As recently as a month ago, league sources told ESPN that owners were 'alarmed' by the current state of the negotiations with the NFLRA. One source said it would take 'an act of God' to bridge the economic gaps between the two sides before the CBA expired.

The league had offered a six-year deal with an average annual raise of 6.45%, per ESPN. The average NFL official earned $385,000 in 2025.

--Field Level Media