NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: No Lockout Intended in Officiating Negotiations

The recent weeks have seen a lull in discussions surrounding the negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association. This pause is viewed as a positive sign, signaling a shift away from media posturing toward substantive progress.

In a Friday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the status of these talks, emphasizing the league’s priorities.

"The number one thing is we definitely want an agreement with the officials," Goodell said. "We're not itching for a lockout. What we are trying to do, though, is make our officials more accountable, get the best performers on the field, and make officiating better. Ultimately that's what you want, because when the real officials show up and they make a mistake, you're gonna say the same thing. And so we've got to get the best officials out there, train them. If they can't officiate at this level, we want to be able to make changes, and we don't want to put people out there that aren't ready to be able to officiate at this level. So those are the real key issues for us — performance."

Goodell expressed optimism about reaching an agreement without resorting to a lockout but acknowledged the league’s preparedness for such a scenario to avoid disrupting the season.

However, the league’s existing tools for improving officiating remain underutilized. The NFL has the authority to hire 17 full-time officials, including referees as full-time employees, but has not done so, potentially due to compensation concerns. Additionally, the league could establish a formal training and evaluation program for game officials, a step it has yet to take.

These points are critical, particularly when external narratives frame the negotiations as a clear-cut case of the NFL being in the right and the officials being at fault. The league’s sudden push for improved officiating may also reflect a strategic effort to assert greater control over game operations, potentially leveraging technology to enhance accuracy.

Goodell’s own remarks from February 2026 highlight this shift: "I’m so amazed at how good our officials are." Yet, with only one game played since that statement, the urgency to overhaul officiating has intensified.

Goodell also underscored the importance of technology in addressing officiating challenges: "I think even the fans are in favor of having better officiating, right? But we've got to have technology with this. This game is so fast. We talk about it all the time. You're gonna have mistakes on the field. So how do we use technology to be able to correct that so that we do get the right outcome, and we don't have people..."