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Report: NFL, Referees End Lockout, Regular Officials to Begin in Week 4 Starting With Thursday Night Game

The replacement refs may be gone soon to hopefully never return again.

Tara Sullivan from The Record tweeted that the regular refs will be back working on Thursday night for the Cleveland-Baltimore game. She also said that the regular NFL officials will be back for the full slate of Sunday games.

This comes as part of an eight-year-deal between the NFL and their referees.

See Sullivan’s string of tweets below.

Can confirm per source that regular refs will work Thu night game and be on field for full Sunday slate.

— tara sullivan (@Record_Tara) September 27, 2012

This thing will be done tonight. Regular refs ready to go.

— tara sullivan (@Record_Tara) September 27, 2012

Hearing 8-year deal between refs and NFL.

— tara sullivan (@Record_Tara) September 27, 2012

No ref crew assigned for Thursday game yet, but expected to get one there.

— tara sullivan (@Record_Tara) September 27, 2012

Refs have to ratify in-person and likely attend mini clinic to refresh rules.

— tara sullivan (@Record_Tara) September 27, 2012

While the NFL refs aren’t perfect, we can at least trust their experience — and we know that they haven’t been fired from the Lingerie League. Hopefully this means we’ll never see a play like this again.

Update: 12:03 a.m.

NFL.com’s Albert Breer has confirmed Sullivan’s report.

The deal between the referees and league is in essence finished, the negotiators in the room are putting it to paper now.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 27, 2012

One thing that helps with tomorrow’s Ravens-Browns game … A disproportionate number of officials live in the DC area.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 27, 2012