Cowboys' Jerry Jones Trying to Help Save 2026 NFL Season From Replacement Refs

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is doing his part to try and get labor talks between the NFL and officials back on track.

On Friday, ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported that talks between the NFL and referees have started up again after breaking down last month, with league owners being part of the revived conversations.

"Several owners joined the NFL negotiating team yesterday in its negotiations with the NFL Referees Association," Seifert reported. "Per an NFL source, the meeting was productive and there is an expectation for continued discussions. The sides' CBA expires May 31."

Among the owners in attendance was Jones, who has been an advocate for two points of contention from the NFLRA, which is the officials' union, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero wrote.

"Among the owners in attendance Thursday: Jerry Jones, who last week publicly backed the NFL's push for expanded training, performance-based pay and other measures to improve officiating in current talks with the NFLRA," Pelissero said.

A look at the issues

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell arrives during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On March 25, Seifert reported that the two sides broke off talks on the first day of what was supposed to be two days of conversations, which was obviously a bad sign.

As Pelissero notes, Jones and the league are proponents of the measures that would add more accountability and aim to improve officiating in the NFL, the quality of which has been an issue.

The NFLRA is taking issue with those measures, and the NFL has a problem with officials union's demands for significant raises in pay, among other demands.

"We are ready to continue negotiations to reach a fair and reasonable agreement, but in the meantime, while the union refuses to engage in a meaningful way, we will continue to prepare for the expiration of the current agreement because we will be playing football in August," the NFL said at the time.

"Today the NFLRA Negotiating Team showed up to what was supposed to be the start of a two-day session with the League to make progress towards a new Collective Bargaining Agreement," he wrote. "Unfortunately, it was soon clear that the NFL did not arrive with the same level of commitment," NFLRA executive director Scott Green said.

There is no question that the NFL has an officiating issue, but that issue will pale in comparison if the league is forced to use replacement referees, a road the league cannot go down.

Are we heading for replacement officials?

A member of the replacement officials shown on the field during the game between the Eagles and the Steelers. — A member of the replacement officials in 2012. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

With both sides getting back to the negotiating table, that's a step in the right direction, but the NFL isn't out of the woods yet and replacement officials remain a possibility.

In fact, according to Pelissero, the NFL has told teams it will being training replacement officials in May if things don't get hammered out in labor talks with the referees union.

That would be a necessary step if the two sides can't come to an agreement soon. After all, we are just four months away from the preseason beginning. Even before that, teams like to use officials during training camp practices to simulate game conditions.

The bottom line is this: something has to get done or else the NFL season could become a disaster.

We saw just how bad replacement officials were back in 2012 and there is no reason to believe things would be better this time around.

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