The Atlanta Falcons are paying a steep price for a coach’s son’s prank gone wrong. The NFL has fined the organization $250,000 and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich $100,000 following an internal investigation into the now-infamous draft day prank call made to Shedeur Sanders, league insiders reported Wednesday.
The penalties stem from the Falcons’ failure to safeguard confidential information provided by the league ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. That data included Sanders’ private contact number, which Ulbrich’s 21-year-old son Jax accessed through his father’s iPad and used to prank call Sanders while impersonating the New Orleans Saints GM.
The Falcons quickly issued a statement accepting the league’s discipline.
“We appreciate the NFL’s swift and thorough review of last week’s data exposure and the event that transpired due to it,” the team said. “We were proactive in addressing the situation internally and cooperated fully with the league throughout the process, and accept the discipline levied to Coach Ulbrich and the organization. We are confident in our security policies and practices and will continue to emphasize adherence to them with our staff whether on or off premises. Additionally, the Ulbrich family is working with the organization to participate in community service initiatives in relation to last week’s matter.”
The prank added an unnecessary layer of frustration to an already difficult draft experience for Sanders, who fell to the fifth round before being selected by the Cleveland Browns—far lower than many had projected. While Jax Ulbrich has since apologized both privately and publicly to Sanders, the NFL made it clear that accountability extends beyond personal apologies.
