There is no end in sight yet to the standstill between an the NFL and referees over a new collective bargaining agreement. Speaking with reporters at Green Bay Packers training camp on Wednesday, league commissioner Roger Goodell said he is comfortable with using replacement officials beginning with Week 1 of preseason.
Replacement Refs Are Coming And Roger Goodell Is Comfortable With That
There is potential for a player walkout over concerns about the game and safety if the league does decide to use referees who are retired or hail from semi-professional leagues. NFL Player Association executive director DeMaurice Smith refused to say which way players were leaning when speaking with Amy K. Nelson and SB Nation, but he did say that “[a]n unsafe working environment is always something that is actionable on behalf of our union.”
Goodell said that safety is “obviously such a focus for us” while maintaining that the replacements would be trained with the players in mind.
The preseason kicks off this Sunday with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, between the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints.
You can check out Smith’s interview with Amy K. below:
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