The NFL is preparing to hire replacement referees for the upcoming season as negotiations between the league and the NFL Referees Association remain at an impasse. The league has given the go-ahead for staff to begin hiring and onboarding replacement refs over the coming weeks. The current CBA is set to expire on May 31. The NFL has offered a six-year CBA that averages annual raises of 6.45 percent, but has faced resistance from the NFLRA. The last time NFL refs were locked out was in 2012.