Mike Pereira is a well-known voice for NFL fans, with his career arc leading him to be the rules analyst for FOX Sports coverage. Let’s take a look back at how Pereira’s career has led to him being a regular part of our NFL Sundays as he aims to help fans understand referee decisions on the field.
Mike Pereira’s Officiating Career Dates Back to 1982
Pereira’s officiating career began in the Big West Conference in 1982, where he spent nine years. He then moved to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) for five years. During that time, Pereira officiated in eight postseason bowl games.
At the age of 46, he first worked an NFL game as a side judge (1996). Even after moving to the NFL, Pereira still served as the supervisor of officials for the WAC. He would go on to have other roles in NCAA football in 2011-12, first as the Pac-12 interim coordinator of officiating and then as a consultant for Pac-12 officiating.
It is somewhat surprising that Pereira was only on an NFL field for two years. In 1998, the NFL promoted him to Supervisor of Officiating. He would then move on to become the Director of Officiating for the NFL in 2001 and was then promoted to Vice President of NFL Officiating in 2004. Pereira would work in that role for five years before retiring from the NFL in 2009.
During Pereira’s time as the VP of Officiating, he began to make media appearances. He would join the NFL Total Access show during the “Official Review” segment. In those weekly appearances, Pereira and host Rich Eisen would discuss key calls made during the previous week of the season.
After retiring from the NFL, Pereira joined FOX Sports as a rules analyst, beginning with the 2010 season. The role of a rules analyst was relatively new to sports at the time, but Pereira made an instant impression. In Week 1 of the 2010 season, he correctly predicted that Calvin Johnson’s seemingly game-winning catch would be overturned and explained to fans why the refs made the decision.
The success of Pereira as a rules analyst has led to an expansion of the role on broadcasts. Dean Blandino has joined Pereira on FOX NFL, while other sports and networks have added the role. Interestingly, the CBS rules analyst, Gene Steratore, was the referee in that Calvin Johnson game in 2010 that put Pereira and the rules analyst position in the spotlight.
Pereira Has Supported the Officiating for Start-Up Football Leagues
When the Alliance of American Football began in 2019, Pereira was hired as an officiating consultant. He currently serves as the Head of Officiating for the United States Football League, which is broadcast on FOX.
How Much Does an NFL Rules Analyst Make?
We do not have an exact figure for how much Pereira and other NFL rules analysts earn. There have been reports that Steratore earns around $95,000 a year as CBS’ rules analyst. It would be expected that Pereira would earn in a similar region.
MORE: How Much Do NFL Refs Make?
However, there are likely variations based on the other roles they serve within the company in terms of weekly television appearances outside of their game-day roles.
Did Pereira Play Professional Football?
Pereira did not ever play football professionally prior to becoming an official. The closest he got to playing professional sports was playing baseball for Santa Clara University between 1970 and 1972. Pereira’s father was a head linesman for the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, so being an official is somewhat of a family business.
What’s Pereira’s Net Worth?
When you look at various estimates of Pereira’s net worth, the values range from around $4 million to top-end estimates of $15 million. The majority of that net worth likely came from working in high-level positions for the NFL. However, his exact salary throughout his various careers is not publicly known, making any net worth numbers purely an estimation.