PHOENIX — The end of the NFL’s owners meeting has arrived. But before we departed the Biltmore Hotel on Tuesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave another State of the Union that dropped some crumbs on what to possibly expect around the league next season and in the years to come.
Finding a new stadium for the Chicago Bears, NFL players competing in flag football in the Olympics and proposed rules for the expansion of instant replay to help replacement officials were part of a packed agenda this week. Will there be replacement refs in 2026? Where will the Bears play next?
Here are my four takeaways from Goodell’s latest press conference.
1. Get ready for NFL replacement officials
NFL owners approved, for one year only, a new rule allowing replay assist to correct clear and obvious missed calls in the event of a referee work stoppage, which would mean the implementation of replacement officials. It was one of four rule changes approved by the league.
The rule change is possibly the clearest sign yet that we’re heading toward a work stoppage for NFL refs in the 2026 season, and Goodell’s comment on the situation indicated that replacement refs are on the way.
“The negotiations have not progressed the way we had hoped from a timing standpoint,” Goodell said. “We obviously have obligations to our fans and everybody in the National Football League to play. So, we are taking the appropriate steps to be ready, but we’re also keeping focused on the negotiations.
“So, we’d like to get a negotiated deal, and we certainly are focused on that.”
The last time the NFL used replacement officials was in 2012, due to a lockout. However, that ended three weeks into the regular season with an eight-year agreement after a Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, when a replacement official incorrectly ruled a touchdown catch for Golden Tate that ended the game with a victory for the Seahawks.
The infamous “Fail Mary Game” took place during the last ref lockout in the NFL. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
The league and the referees reached an impasse on compensation, accountability for poor performance and shortening the amount of dead time for officials during the down period from the end of the Super Bowlin February to May 15. The current agreement is set to expire at the end of May.
“There is frustration discussed among the ownership about the state of our negotiations with our officials,” NFL Executive Vice President overseeing Player Health and Safety Jeff Miller told reporters on Thursday. “The effort has been pretty straightforward. And I think we’ve been crystal clear on it, which is this is an opportunity to improve the state of our officiating.
“There needs to be accountability measures. There needs to be performance measures. And that’s what our negotiation posture has been. … What [the NFL owners] are insistent upon – insistent upon — is that the performance of the officials and the accountability for that performance has to improve.”
Owners also approved a new rule that allows replay assist to put a flag down and eject players for flagrant football acts or non-football acts not penalized by officials on the field.
Rich McKay, Atlanta Falcons CEO and co-chairman of the competition committee, said there was some concern about transparency for fans considering the expanded use of instant replay, but that did not override impeding the speed of the game. McKay said the NFL also would have more staff on hand to deal with the expanded use of replay assist.
2. NFL players expected to compete in Flag Football in 2028 Olympics
The NFL is all in on flag football, according to Goodell.
Even after current NFL players were soundly beaten by USA Football in the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Los Angeles earlier in March, Goodell said the league is committed to improving the game and believes NFL players will compete in the sport for USA Football in the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“I think we’ll see NFL players in the Olympics,” Goodell said. “They want to play. We just had a player here who wants to compete in the Olympics. That’s his intent. I think it will be great for football. I think it will be great for the fans. And I’m even more excited for the opportunity for young women to play flag football in general, but also participate in the Olympics.”
The league’s actions earlier in the week certainly showed the NFL’s commitment to growing flag football. A day prior to Goodell’s press conference, the NFL announced that it’s partnering with TMRW Sports to develop and operate a professional flag football league for women and men.
3. Chicago Bears need clarity on new stadium project
The stadium situation for the Bears remains in flux.
The Bears have played at Soldier Field since 1971. It’s the smallest NFL stadium, with a capacity of 61,500. However, the team is working on a couple of different tracks that they hope will lead to a new facility.
The Bears have received approval from the state of Indiana to fund a new stadium in the town of Hammond, about 28 miles from Chicago.
Soldier Field has been the home of the Bears since 1971. (Photo by Bobby Goddin/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Bears also purchased a 326-acre, $197.2 million property in Arlington Heights, Illinois, to build a new facility for home games. However, there’s no clear timeline for completion of the project and the franchise is seeking $855 million in public funding to cover the stadium’s infrastructure costs.
Goodell said the Bears need to gain clarity on which project to move forward with sooner rather than later.
“They need to find a solution for a stadium,” Goodell said. “And they have looked not only in Indiana, but Illinois and other sites. And they’ve also invested in a site. So, I think they’ve been responsible, and I think it’s really important that they come to a resolution on this relatively soon.”
4. NFL expands access for players to address mental health
The league also approved an initiative to expand behavioral and mental health services for NFL players and their families. Franchises must now hire a full-time mental health professional who works from the team facility each day.
NFL owners have approved a proposal to expand behavioral and mental health services offerings to players. Teams must now employ a full-time mental health clinician who operates out of each facility.
The league also voted to better support vulnerable players on injured reserve separated from their families, and to expand health coverage for players and their families.
Previously, the NFL mandated in the last collective bargaining agreement seven years ago that every team must have some mental health resource available to players and coaches. Further, the NFL requires every team to have a mental health emergency action plan.
There’s been an increased emphasis nationally on mental health in the NFL, with the recent tragedies of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore dying by suicide.