NFL Officiating Exec Dean Blandino Resigns In 'Major Shakeup' For Refs

Tony Romo isn’t the only one taking his talents from the NFL to the television screen.

NFL senior vice president of officiating Dean Blandino is leaving his post to “pursue other opportunities,” NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent informed league coaches and general managers in a memo Friday morning. Blandino is expected to take a job at a television network, per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Aditi Kinkhabwala.

Blandino had been in charge of the NFL’s officials since 2013. He was expected to take on a much bigger role this season, as the league just approved a centralized replay system allowing Blandino and his team to decide on-field calls from their office in New York.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter described Blandino’s departure as a “major shakeup,” as his official replacement still hasn’t been named.

And so a major shakeup coming to NFL officiating for next season, with head of that department, Dean Blandino, leaving.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 14, 2017

“Dean has done an outstanding job leading our officiating staff,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement Friday, via NFL.com. “He has been a trusted colleague and friend to so many of us around the league. Dean’s knowledge of the playing rules, his tireless commitment to improving the quality of NFL officiating and his unquestioned dedication to his job has earned him the respect of the entire football community.”

UPDATE (10:15 a.m.): Blandino indeed will join Romo at CBS, according to Pro Football Talk.

https://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/status/852887117051179008

UPDATE (11:35 a.m.): Apparently Blandino is joining FOX, not CBS.

Crazy morning: PFT has now learned that @DeanBlandino likely will be hired by FOX — and that FOX would team him up with @MikePereira.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 14, 2017