The Atlanta Falcons were riding high after the draft, feeling good about their picks. But then, everything took a turn. Reports came out that the prank call targeting Shedeur Sanders – yeah, the one that went viral – was actually pulled by Jeff Ulbrich‘s son. For context, he’s the team’s defensive coordinator. Of course, it wasn’t just a joke anymore. Hence, the NFL became less forgiving. By Wednesday, they hit both Ulbrich and the Falcons with massive fines.
After the prank call incident took place, the team chose not to punish Jeff Ulbrich, maybe hoping it would blow over. But the NFL had no mercy on him, the Falcons, and his son. According to ML Football on X, “JEFF ULBRICH’S SON COST HIM 1/8TH OF HIS 2025 SALARY FROM THE #FALCONS… AFTER HIS PRANK CALL” to Shedeur Sanders. That’s insane!
So, how much did it cost? Well, the football-centric page gave a detailed view of it. It mentioned, “Ulbrich’s 2025 salary post-taxes: $800K.” But, “Ulbrich’s fine for his son’s prank call: $100K.” And indeed, this six-figure punishment is huge and crazy for the coach.
INSANE
JEFF ULBRICH’S SON COST HIM 1/8TH OF HIS 2025 SALARY FROM THE #FALCONS… AFTER HIS PRANK CALL.
Ulbrich’s 2025 salary post-taxes: $800K
Ulbrich’s fine for his son’s prank call: $100K
THIS IS CRAZY pic.twitter.com/jjX0hW8EAk
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 1, 2025
On the other hand, the Falcons just got slapped with a $250K fine, and Jeff Ulbrich’s out another $100K of his own – all because Shedeur Sanders’ phone number got leaked. And hence, Ulbrich confirmed that he won’t be appealing the fine, saying, “We take full responsibility, my son and myself, and we will not be appealing the fine in any way.” Also, the team’s not firing Ulbrich, but let’s be honest – costing your team a quarter million before even coaching a game? That’s rough. Now here’s where it really gets frustrating.
According to Mike Florio, the NFL tried to make it look like the Falcons gave Ulbrich the number. But they didn’t. The league did. First, they sent out a “confidential” memo to execs with player numbers, including that of Shedeur Sanders. Then, for some reason, they sent another email, this time not marked confidential, and blasted it to a huge list, including Ulbrich. That email had Sanders’ new number. And yeah, that’s the one Ulbrich’s son used in the prank. So while the NFL points fingers, as per Florio, they’re the ones who handed it out. So, they are responsible too.
Nevertheless, the head coach has apologized to Shedeur Sanders and his father, Deion Sanders, who was eagerly waiting for his son’s name to be called out during the draft.
What did Jeff Ulbrich say to Shedeur Sanders and his dad, Deion?
The Falcons came clean Sunday, admitting it was Jeff Ulbrich’s 21-year-old son, Jax, behind the prank call to Shedeur Sanders during the draft. While visiting home, Jax reportedly saw Sanders’ number on an open iPad. He jotted it down and later had a friend fake a call as Saints GM, Mickey Loomis, saying Sanders had been drafted.
On the other hand, Jeff Ulbrich had no clue any of this had happened until after. The team apologized to Sanders and his family, calling the whole thing unacceptable. Later, during a press conference, the head coach said. “We take full responsibility, my son and myself, and we will not be appealing the fine in any way. Going forward, I promise my son and I will work hard to demonstrate that we are better than this. Again, I am deeply sorry for our actions.”
Ulbrich also apologized to Shedeur Sanders and Deion Sanders during his presser. He admitted, “First of all, I would like to publicly apologize to Shedeur and the Sanders family for what occurred. Second of all, I want to publicly apologize to Mr. Blank, Terry Fontenot, Raheem Morris, and the entire Falcons organization. My actions – my actions – of not protecting confidential data were inexcusable. 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.”
In addition, Jax owned up on social media, calling it selfish and saying he ruined a moment that should’ve been unforgettable. However, Shedeur Sanders handled it with class, calling it childish but saying he doesn’t feed into negativity. And the Falcons? Ah, they accepted the league’s punishment and promised to tighten things up moving forward. They’re also doing community service as a family to make it right. But before wrapping up, let us remind you that not only Sanders, as per reports, even Abdul Carter, Tyler Warren, Kyle McCord, Mason Graham, and Chase Lundt – also received prank calls. The investigation is on!
The post Jeff Ulbrich Clears Stance on NFL’s 6-Figure Punishment After Apologizing for Son’s Prank Call to Shedeur Sanders appeared first on EssentiallySports.
