From ‘Big Citrus’ to ‘Waffle House’: the best nicknames in the 2026 NFL Draft
The 2026 NFL Draft class isn’t just loaded with talent — it’s full of unforgettable nicknames, too. Ayrton Ostly breaks down the best of the bunch.
The rift between the NFL and NFL officials just got a lot wider.
Negotiations involving representatives for the league and the NFL Referees Association (NFLRA) for a new labor pact that were scheduled for two days in Florida broke down on Wednesday – not even advancing to the lunch break on the first day.
Scott Green, executive director of the NFLRA, told USA TODAY Sports that the NFL rejected the union’s counterproposal.
“We asked them to give us a response and they refused,” Green wrote in a text message Wednesday afternoon.
Green added that the NFL’s lead negotiator, Larry Ferazani, indicated that he was “not authorized” to respond to the counterproposal.
“They then got up and left,” Green said.
A person familiar with the NFL’s position told USA TODAY Sports, under the condition of anonymity, that the abrupt end to the session was sparked by economics. The person did not want to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
The person maintained that the union is demanding salary increases that, percentage-wise, are double what players received in their past two labor pacts.
Green did not divulge economic demands when reached by USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday night. Yet it’s clear that developments on Wednesday paint a gloomy picture as the clock ticks toward the May 31 expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement.
“It’s part of the process of negotiations,” Green said. “We are still optimistic that we can get a deal done. But somebody’s got to be sitting across the table from us, for us to be able to do that.”
Beyond economic issues, the NFL is frustrated by the roadblocks it has encountered while seeking several changes that it maintains will improve performance and development.
According to a recent memo from the league’s management council to team executives and head coaches, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the NFL has identified six areas of focus that it believes will improve performance of game officials and increase accountability. Included:
- Ensuring that only high-performing officials from the regular season share in the year-end bonus pool.
- Having greater flexibility to base postseason assignments more on performance and less on seniority.
- Mandatory training and development programs for low-performing and probationary officials.
- Extending the probationary period (currently three years) for determining whether to remove new officials who are underperforming.
- Reducing the “dead period” in the offseason – currently following the Super Bowl through May 15 – when the league has no communication and access to officials.
- Increasing the number of officials on a “practice squad” to allow for more reserves.
NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller addressed the issue on Wednesday morning during a Zoom media conference that included discussion of the proposed rule that NFL owners will consider next week that would allow for expanded replay assistance for replacement officials – if there’s no new labor pact.
“The officials are engaged in a part-time job,” Miller said. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be able to find time to work with the ones who need some assistance, education and training to improve. We deserve that. The fans deserve that. The players and coaches deserve that, and they’re held to account just like everybody else is. And officials should be in that same bucket. To the extent that they need opportunities for improvement, we believe that there should be an opportunity to help them improve in their performance.”
The sides began negotiating during the summer of 2024 yet are apparently no closer to striking a deal. It is unclear when another round of talks will commence.
In the meantime, the NFL has moved to hire temporary replacement refs from the college ranks.
If the breakdown of talks on Wednesday is any indication, the NFL is heading toward resorting to its alternative plans.
Contact Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell
