NFL referees who opt out get $30K, guaranteed job in 2021

If NFL referees opt out in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, they won't be making nearly as much money as they could if they decided to remain. 

According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, NFL game officials who opt out of the 2020 campaign will receive a $30,000 stipend and a guarantee that their jobs will be protected in 2021. 

The agreement was approved by the NFL Referees Association board of directors and a full vote will be taken on Monday. If the plan is approved, officials will have until Thursday to notify the NFL of a decision to opt out.

According to NFLRA executive director Scott Green, the average NFL official is 52 years old, Seifert adds. Anyone over the age of 40 most certainly is at higher risk to develop the disease. 

For officials who decide to call games in 2020, the NFL is making sure they'll be taken care of. According to Seifert: 

• All officials will be tested for COVID-19 twice per week.
• Any official who tests positive will receive salary, medical and other benefits the NFL normally gives when an official suffers an on-the-job injury.
• Any official who shows symptoms or tests positive will receive medical expenses, lodging and travel provisions paid for by the NFL. 

According to Money, NFL officials make about $201,000 per year, so opting out and not even receiving half of that money may not be an option for some officials. 

If players deemed to be at higher-risk for COVID-19 infection opt out, they can receive $350,000. Players who aren't considered high-risk can earn $150,000. 

It'll certainly be a tough decision for some officials to make, though it appears the NFL, at least, is trying to make them feel comfortable working in 2020.