The Atlanta Falcons have been fined $250,000, and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has been fined $100,000 due to an incident involving Ulbrich’s son, Jax, who made a prank call to Shedeur Sanders during the NFL draft.
The NFL confirmed the fines on Wednesday, attributing them to the Falcons’ failure to prevent the release of confidential information related to the draft. The Falcons disclosed that Jax, 21, was involved in the prank call while Sanders was waiting to be selected. The team acknowledged the discipline and expressed their appreciation for the NFL’s swift review of the situation.
In a statement, the Falcons said, “We were proactive in addressing the situation internally and cooperated fully with the league throughout the process. We accept the discipline levied to Coach Jeff Ulbrich and the organization, and we are confident in our security policies and practices. We will continue to emphasize adherence to them with our staff, both on and off the premises.”
The Falcons also revealed that the Ulbrich family is working with the organization on community service initiatives related to the incident.
According to the team, Jax Ulbrich came across Sanders’ draft contact number by accident while visiting his parents’ home. He wrote the number down and later used it for a prank call. Jax was sitting next to an unnamed friend, who actually made the call to Sanders on the second day of the draft. Sanders, a star quarterback from Colorado, was expecting to be a first-round pick but was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round.
The Falcons clarified that Jeff Ulbrich was unaware of the incident until after the call was made. The team offered a public apology to Shedeur Sanders and his family, and Jax Ulbrich also issued a personal apology on social media.
The NFL is continuing its investigation into other prank calls made during the draft, with players such as Tyler Warren, Kyle McCord, Mason Graham, and Chase Lundt also reporting similar incidents. However, the call to Shedeur Sanders is not connected to the other pranks.
