NFL Will Consider Measuring First Downs Electronically in 2025 Regular Season

Three footballs before the Bills' 34–10 win over the Titans on Oct. 20, 2024. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

For a century, the NFL has entrusted the tricky task of measuring first downs to the "chain gang"—a group that, as its name implies, handles the chains that demarcate 10-yard distances.

However, the crew's role may soon change thanks to technology.