NFL And Referees Reportedly On Verge Of Deal, Regular Officials Could Return As Early As Sunday [UPDATE]

ESPN's Chris Mortensen has reported that there is an agreement that is on the verge of completion between the NFL and the NFLRA that could see the league's regular officials return as early as this sunday and the league's integrity restored, per a tweet from ESPN's Sportscenter account.

The agreement comes on the heels of a week of subpar officiating by the league's replacement officials, including the now infamous ending to Monday Night Football between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.

One of the biggest points of contention between the league and its referees has reportedly been resolved as, per a report from NFL.com, both sides have compromised on the addition of more officials, with the NFL deciding to implement a developmental program to train more, rather than immediately adding more crews into the mix, with those trainees working WITH crews rather than replacing them entirely.

This is huge for the league and for its fans, who have suffered through some of the longest, most poorly officiated football the world has ever seen.

As more information becomes available, this post will be updated.

UPDATE 1:53 p.m.: Sports Illustrated's Peter King has reported that the leader of the NFLRA has told the officials that a deal is NOT imminent. Oh, god.