Regular NFL Officials Return to Work Tonight as Tentative Deal Reached

It's over and not a moment too soon. Late last night, the NFL and the NFL Referees union reached a tentative agreement that will put the regular officials back to work tonight in Baltimore as the Ravens host the Cleveland Browns. The officials will travel to Dallas tomorrow to get their equipment and receive their game assignments for Sunday and Monday. The replacement officials worked the preseason and the first three weeks of the regular season with blown calls, missed calls and misappropriation of rules. The regular officials were locked out by the NFL in June and the new deal is for 8 years, which the referee 121 member union still must approve.

Everything came to a head on Monday night in Seattle when the Green Bay Packers were denied a win because of a very controversial call on a Seattle Hail Mary pass that seemed to be intercepted by the Packers - ruled a touchdown for the Seahawks by the field official. The play was reviewed for 10 minutes and Seattle was awarded the touchdown and the win. That debacle got the refs and the NFL back to the table for two days of almost non-stop negotiations resulting in the deal last night.