NFL Fines Atlanta Falcons After Draft Day Prank Phone Call

ATLANTA, GA — The Atlanta Falcons and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich were ordered to shell out a combined $350,000 in fines for their involvement in a Draft Day prank phone call to now-Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the NFL announced Wednesday.

The NFL fined the Falcons $250,000 and Ulbrich $100,000 for failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential information distributed to the club in advance of the 2025 NFL Draft, the league reported.

Sanders, the former quarterback for Colorado, received a call Friday that he thought was from New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis informing him that he would be the team's next pick, the NFL previously reported.

Video of Sanders taking the call later circulated on social media. NFL writers reported the prank call confused Sanders.

It was later determined the call came from Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich's son, 21-year-old Jax Ulbrich.

According to the NFL, Jax Ulbrich obtained Sanders' phone number from his father's iPad and used it to prank Sanders during the draft.

"Sanders received the call during arguably the most agonizing portion of his surprising slide down draft boards from a potential top-five pick to an eventual fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns, adding insult to what had already been a difficult experience for the Colorado passer," the NFL said in. a statement. "Theories flew around the interwebs on who may have placed the call, but it didn't take long before Jax Ulbrich admitted fault."

Jax Ulbrich publicly apologized a short time after the call was made.

RELATED: Falcons And Coach's Son Apologizes To Shedeur Sanders For Prank NFL Draft Call

"I'd like to apologize for my inexcusable actions. I'm sorry for what I did to you, @ShedeurSanders, but I'd also like to point out that my unnamed friend was the one who dialed you, so please direct all complaints his way. I appreciate your understanding of this childish prank," he wrote in an X post published Sunday.

The Falcons quickly accepted the penalties levied against them in a statement released Wednesday.

"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."

The NFL Draft 2025 concluded Saturday with Sanders being selected 144th by the Cleveland Browns, but the two-time All-American was first told he would head to New Orleans during a prank call. And, that call ended three days of waiting for Sanders, the son of NFL great and Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who was projected as a first-round pick but slid to the fifth round.