Sarah Thomas reportedly is set to break the NFL’s officiating gender barrier.
Thomas has been hired as the NFL’s first female full-time official, The Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson reported Friday morning. An NFL spokesperson would not confirm Thomas’ hiring to ESPN.com.
Thomas has been officiating since 1996. She has worked in NFL preseason games as a line judge and as a Conference USA official. She also served as a line judge in the 2012 Senior Bowl and officiated the 2009 Little Caesars Bowl.
Shannon Eastin was the first woman to officiate an NFL game as a replacement referee during the 2012 officials lockout.
Thomas is a Mississippi native with three children. She has been in the NFL’s pipeline since 2013, according to ESPN.com.
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