Officiating has been the talk of the NFL after Monday night’s game between the Lions and Packers was impacted by a couple of controversial penalties called on Lions defensive lineman Trey Flowers.
That comes on the heels of many weeks of discussion about pass interference replay reviews and the apparent unwillingness of the league to overturn calls on the field. Saints head coach Sean Payton is a member of the Competition Committee that recommended adopting the replay review rules and he was asked about all officiating matters during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday.
Payton said it has become clear that there is “a real, real, real high bar” for making changes to calls on the field. He also referenced the calls from Monday night when he said there’s “nothing more difficult to deal with than a foul that wasn’t a foul.” He didn’t follow that up with a call for further changes to replay or a sky judge, but did share where he believes everything will wind up.
“I think, ultimately, we’re going to be at some point dealing with full-time officials,” Payton said.
Payton cited the speed of the game and the fact that video reveals missed calls with greater clarity than in the past as reasons supporting a move to full-time officials that has yet to take hold in the NFL.