ATLANTA — The National Football League has fined the Atlanta Falcons $250,000 and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich $100,000 after Ulbrich’s son accessed and used confidential draft information to prank call quarterback prospect Shedeur Sanders during last week’s NFL Draft, the league confirmed to CNN on Wednesday.
The prank, which briefly shook draft night for Sanders, involved a fake call purporting to be from the New Orleans Saints’ general manager. The call was placed just as Sanders awaited word on his professional future. A day later, the real call came from the Cleveland Browns, who selected him with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round.
In a public statement, the Falcons acknowledged the incident and accepted the league’s disciplinary action. “We appreciate the NFL’s swift and thorough review of last week’s data exposure,” the team said. “We were proactive in addressing the situation internally and cooperated fully with the league.”
According to NFL Network’s Judy Battista, access to player contact information is tightly restricted during the draft process. Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich reportedly left his iPad open, allowing his son, Jax Ulbrich, to view and write down Sanders’ phone number. Jax later used the number to carry out the prank.
The Falcons added that the Ulbrich family will be involved in community service efforts in response to the incident. The organization also reaffirmed its commitment to data security, stating that it will “continue to emphasize adherence to security protocols among all staff, both on and off premises.”
Jeff Ulbrich addressed reporters on Wednesday, offering a direct apology to the Sanders family and to his team.
“My actions in not protecting confidential data were inexcusable,” said Ulbrich. “My son’s actions were absolutely inexcusable and for that we are both deeply sorry. The NFL has taken action and I fully respect the punishment. We take full responsibility — my son and myself — and we will not appeal the fine in any way.”
Ulbrich also confirmed that he informed Falcons leadership immediately upon learning of the prank. He said the team then reached out to the Sanders family to apologize.
“The Sanders family, Shedeur and Coach Sanders, were amazingly gracious,” he added. “More gracious than they needed to be in a moment like this.”
Jax Ulbrich issued a public apology via Instagram on Sunday, thanking Sanders for “accepting my call earlier.”
Sanders, the son of Colorado head coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, was projected by many to be an early-round pick due to his college performance and the high demand for quarterbacks in the league. Despite the prank, Sanders has not publicly commented on the incident but is expected to begin his NFL career in Cleveland with rookie minicamps starting this month.
The NFL also confirmed it is investigating additional prank calls reported during the draft weekend. However, the league noted these incidents are not connected to the Ulbrich-Sanders case.
Update: The Cleveland Browns have not released an official statement regarding the prank but are reportedly focused on integrating Sanders into their quarterback room during offseason activities.
