The NFL Is Seriously Looking At Replay Transparency And It’s Already Behind The Times

The NFL is actually talking about pulling back the curtain on replay reviews, with some in the league office hoping for full transparency by the end of the current season. This isn’t some far-off dream, either; planning is already underway to make it happen.

An Idea Whose Time Is Way Overdue

Broncos coach Sean Payton was on the record back in July, predicting the NFL would adopt UFL-style officiating transparency within the next two to three years. Turns out, it might be coming a lot faster than that. Albert Breer from SI.com dropped a nugget recently: the league is actively discussing and working on implementing something similar to what we’ve seen in college football. We could see this roll out potentially in the coming weeks, and definitely, some are pushing for it before the regular season even wraps up. Seriously, can you imagine if they actually did this mid-season? It would be stunning, given how rarely the NFL makes big changes once the games are underway.

Learning From The Little Guys (And College!)

It’s not like the NFL is inventing something new here. They’ve been watching closely how the UFL handles its officiating transparency. Even college football conferences like the ACC and the Big Ten have started televising their replay review process. Remember that Michigan-Western Michigan debacle? The Big Ten took action and now they’re showing the world. The NFL, the supposed leader in football innovation, is already behind the times on this one. It’s time they started leading again instead of playing catch-up to what other leagues are already doing.

Ultimately, it’s better sooner than later, and definitely better later than never. The NFL needs to follow the lead of others and finally give us fans a real look into those replay decisions. Will we get to hear the officials explain their calls before this season is over? Here’s hoping.

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Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.