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The NFL has fined the Atlanta Falcons $250,000 for their role in a prank call made to quarterback prospect Shedeur Sanders during the 2025 NFL Draft, citing a failure to safeguard confidential draft information.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the league determined that the Falcons “failed to prevent the disclosure of confidential information distributed to the club in advance of the NFL Draft.” The breach led to a prank call made to Sanders by Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
In a statement issued Sunday, the Falcons explained that Jax discovered Sanders’ contact number on an open iPad while visiting his parents’ home and later used it to make a prank call. Jeff Ulbrich reportedly had no knowledge of his son’s actions until after the incident occurred.
As a result, Jeff Ulbrich has also been fined $100,000 by the league.
In response to the penalties, the Falcons released a statement Wednesday acknowledging the league’s findings and pledging to improve their internal security measures.
“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 Jeff 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.”
The team also stated that the Ulbrich family will participate in community service initiatives as a result of the incident.
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