There is a real chance the NFL could be set to relive the 'Fail Mary,' which happened 14 years ago, amid the ongoing drama between the league and the referees' union
06:52 ET, 31 Mar 2026
Wide receiver Golden Tate #81 of the Seattle Seahawks makes a catch in the end zone to defeat the Green Bay Packers on a controversial call by the officials at CenturyLink Field on September 24, 2012 in Seattle, Washington.
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The NFL could be set to return to replacement referees(Image: Getty Images)
With the NFL's current collective bargaining deal with the referees' union currently set to expire in May, there is a chance fans could be treated to the same farcical spectacle that produced a moment of league history 14 years ago.
The NFL headlines this week have been dominated by the league's annual meetings, with Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams slapping down a rule proposal by the Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft endorsed an 18-game regular season, but only on three conditions.
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But while the coaches, general manager, and team officials continue to meet in Phoenix, Arizona, this week, tensions between the NFL and the referees' union simmer in the background.
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The current collective bargaining agreement between the two sides is set to expire in May, and it has been reported that they are not close to finalizing a new deal, which could, in turn, lead to replacement referees.
Those two words go hand in hand with 'Fail Mary,' a term coined in 2012 when replacement referees officiated a Monday Night Football clash between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers in place of the usual referees, who had been locked out since June that year due to a dispute with the NFL.
On the final play of the game, with Green Bay up 12-7, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson launched a Hail Mary throw into the end zone intended for Golden Tate. Both Tate and Packers defensive back M.D. Jennings got their hands on the ball.
However, footage showed Jennings seemingly pinning the ball to his body, with Tate trying to wrestle it away from him on the ground. Bizarrely, that led to the officials standing over the pair to give two different signals on what happened, before they then determined it was a touchdown, handing Seattle the win.
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Before that catch, Tate had also shoved Packers cornerback Sam Shields, and the NFL later acknowledged that his push was an offensive pass interference penalty that would have negated the score.
It has been reported that there are currently three significant points of contention between the NFL and the referees' union, the first of which, according to Yahoo Sports, is the league's desire for performance-based evaluations, placing officials deemed to be performing poorly on probationary periods.
Derrick Rhone-Dunn #84, referee Wayne Elliott #28 and Richard Simmons #102 confer during the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on September 24, 2012 in Seattle, Washington.
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The Fail Mary lives in NFL infamy(Image: Getty Images)
Another point of contention between the two is the appointment of playoff officials. The NFL wants performance to trump seniority because of the magnitude of the games and the potential impact of poor officiating on the entire season.
The union believes seniority should trump that, with veteran officials receiving preferential treatment.
Finally, the third issue regards pay. The league has reportedly offered the referees an improved deal, including an average annual raise of over 6 percent. The NFLRA believes officials should be paid in line with those in the NBA, MLB, and NHL, and it has been claimed that it has proposed a raise of over 10 percent per year on average.
However, all three leagues play many more games: the NBA and NHL play 82, while MLB plays 162.
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"[They think they] should be paid as much as basketball, hockey, and baseball officials," said a league source, via Yahoo. "And when you look around and you think of what those leagues ask of their officials: to go away from their families, to be on the road every day, for months at a time, it's an absurd comparison."