Prank on Shedeur Sanders ends up costing the Falcons dearly
Both the Atlanta Falcons and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich were fined by the NFL for pranking Shedeur Sanders during the draft.
Jax Ulbrich, the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, seized the moment of Shedeur Sanders being drafted to pull a costly prank on the new player.
Now, the NFL has punished both the team and the coach after Jax impersonated a New Orleans Saints representative in an attempt to convince Sanders he was being drafted by them, shortly after the quarterback led his team to a victory over the Cleveland Browns.
The league announced it has fined the Atlanta Falcons $250,000 and Coach Jeff Ulbrich $100,000 for failing to safeguard confidential information shared with teams ahead of the draft. Specifically, the NFL stated that Sanders’ phone number—obtained by Jax Ulbrich from his father’s iPad—was improperly accessed and misused.
REPORT: The Atlanta Falcons ($250k) and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich ($100k) have been fined for the role played in the Shedeur Sanders prank call.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) April 30, 2025
The Falcons organization has released a statement. https://t.co/SniolZk3At pic.twitter.com/6qQV2fWTqs
More prank calls across the NFL
Following the announcement, the Falcons released a statement accepting the NFL’s decision. They emphasized that the Ulbrich family will work with the organization on community service initiatives as part of the response.
“We appreciate the NFL’s swift and thorough review of last week’s data exposure and the resulting incident,” the team said. “We were proactive in addressing the situation internally, fully cooperated with the league throughout the process, and we accept the discipline imposed on Coach Ulbrich and the organization.”
Shedeur Sanders wasn’t the only draft prospect targeted by prank calls. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter received a fake call from someone pretending to be a Jacksonville Jaguars employee, telling him he’d be selected with the second overall pick.
Two other prospects, Penn State tight end Tyler Warren and Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., were also reportedly contacted. Warren received a prank call as the New York Jets prepared to pick seventh overall, while Conerly was contacted by someone posing as a Denver Broncos staff member.
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