The National Football League (NFL) is saying goodbye to yet another long-time official. On Thursday, referee Jerome Boger announced his retirement from the league, joining six other officials who have retired since the end of the 2022 season.
Boger first joined the NFL in 2004 as a line judge before being promoted to referee in 2006. During his time with the league, he officiated seven playoff games, including Super Bowl XLVII between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. Boger was also present during the infamous power outage at the New Orleans Superdome, which caused a 34-minute game stoppage in the third quarter. His last playoff appearance was a 2021 wild-card game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Las Vegas Raiders.
Despite his long career, Boger was not immune to criticism. His most notable controversy of the 2022 season involved a roughing the passer call on Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett for a third-down sack of Tom Brady. The call kept a Bucs drive alive in the final minutes of a 21-15 Tampa Bay win.
The NFL has not yet announced a replacement for Boger or any of the other recently retired officials. With the retirement of these experienced officials, the league is now tasked with finding suitable replacements to fill the enormous void left behind.
