Following every NFL season, there are some referees that leave the league either due to retirement or for other reasons. But over the past two offseasons, there has been an inordinate amount of turnover from the league’s referees.
According to Mark Schultz of Football Zebras, two more officials are leaving the league, bringing the total number of preparing officials to 12 this offseason, which is the most in a decade. It’s particularly concerning given that 10 referees departed last season, as well.
“Football Zebras has learned that field judge Mike Weatherford and line judge Mike Dolce are apparently no longer in the NFL, bringing the offseason retirement/departure number to 12 — the most since the 2013 offseason when 14 officials left the league and only the second time in NFL history where departures were in double digits in consecutive seasons (10 and 13 officials in 2002-03; last season there were 10 departures),” Schultz wrote for Football Zebras.
It doesn’t exactly sound like great news that the league is losing referees like this and will have to be breaking in several new referees at the same time next season. As a result, the NFL world had plenty to say about it on Twitter.
we are seeing a mass exodus of NFL refs & officials
we've seen 12 leave this offseason
most since 2013
it's just the 2ND TIME IN NFL HISTORY that double digit refs/officials left the NFL in consecutive years
surely beautiful reffing to follow next season
per @footballzebras
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 18, 2023
Thats an interesting stat.
Gotta hope its not the talented refs leaving, because if so, some of the poor reffing will only get worse. https://t.co/thir708t5R
— 920_nick (@920_nick1) May 18, 2023
At least YouTubeTV will probably be frozen, so we won’t have to witness the replacement refs. https://t.co/AhIvRMOI7N
— Justin Heier (@jhrockchalk5) May 18, 2023
I’d think legal gambling and instant replay has something to do with it. https://t.co/C91HVaPgKB
— Willie James Huff (@Just_JRM) May 18, 2023
To be fair i doubt it can get worse than last year. https://t.co/7fxtN9rr0I
— ARUN 🌄 arunna.eth (@Arunnastunna) May 18, 2023
https://twitter.com/Jager_Vols/status/1659214277469786114?s=20
It will be interesting to see how the referees perform next season given this news.
