Roger Goodell says the NFL is exploring ways artificial intelligence could help fix one of football's oldest headaches. And that would be the officiating.
Videos by FanBuzz
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports, Goodell told reporters after the latest owners meetings that the league is looking at how AI might assist with calls on the field.
The idea isn't to replace refs, but to help them get more right.
That said, Florio points out that there are simpler fixes still sitting on the table. The biggest one? Making officials full-time employees.
The NFL hasn't wanted to spend what it would take to convince referees to quit their day jobs and go all-in with the league. Until pressure builds — whether from fans, politicians, or both — that probably won't change.
Florio also floated a common-sense idea that could pay off fast: get all officials in the same room once a week during the season to review controversial plays, talk through what went wrong, and make sure everyone's seeing things the same way.
Still, the league deserves some credit for at least exploring every possible tool. In an age where legal sports betting is everywhere, the NFL can't afford mistakes that fuel conspiracy theories.
Even if it's just perception, consistency and transparency matter. Whether the answer comes from AI or actual humans, the NFL has to keep working toward fewer bad calls, and a lot more trust.
