Buffalo Bills hire long time NFL referee John Parry as an officiating liaison

After working for ESPN as a rule’s analyst on Monday Night Football, John Parry is taking his talents to Buffalo.

According to the New York Post, John Parry is joining the Buffalo Bills as an officiating liaison. He will be serving as an advisor to the team’s coaching staff on rules matters and replay decisions.

Parry began his career as a replay official in 1999, the first year the NFL introduced the challenge-based system. He transitioned to a side judge in 2000 and then became a referee in 2008. He worked Super Bowl XLI as a side judge and XLVI and LIII as a referee.

Parry told the website Football Zebras over the weekend that he is leaving for a job with a team, which we are learning is the Bills now.

“Officials look at the game so differently than players, coaches, and fans,” Parry told the outlet.

“So to have somebody up [in the booth]: Hey, this is the mechanic, this is why that person made that call. And no matter what happens to this replay, if they flip it, here’s where the ball will be spotted. Here’s the down [and] distance. The clock’s going to start in the ready for play, or it’s a 10-second runoff, so you could take a timeout. So you better start thinking about that, will you take one? Will you not?”