NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell apologized to fans for the recent events that occurred during the three weeks of replacement officials calling their favorite teams' games.

"Obviously when you go through something like this, it's painful for everybody. Most importantly, it's painful for fans," he said on a conference call Thursday, about 12 hours after the league reached a deal to bring back the regular officials. "We're sorry to have to put fans through that. Sometimes you have to go through something like that in the short term for the right agreement for the long term."

Goodell insisted the two sides were already in "intense negotiations" the last two weeks and that the Monday night mess was not a major factor in completing a deal.

"It may have pushed the parties along," he said.

The new agreement, he said, will improve officiating week in and week out, reducing similar mistakes in the future and making the strains of the last three weeks worthwhile.

Once the Referees Association ratifies it's new eight-year labor agreement with the NFL on Saturday, the 121 officials will receive a nice bonus.

According to a source, the NFL installed a $2.5 million ratification bonus in the deal. After the deal is voted on which is expected to happen in Dallas on Saturday, the NFL is expected to give the NFLRA a check for $2.5 million.

The ratification bonus is to be distributed to the 121 members of the Association as it sees fit. The $2.5 million will help ease the loss of four preseason and three regular-season game checks for the officials. In a season, members of crews are supposed to officiate 19 games.