NFL Hands Down Harsh Punishment To Atlanta Falcons For Their Role In Shedeur Sanders Prank Call
The NFL has handed down pricey penalties to the Atlanta Falcons following the Shedeur Sanders prank call fiasco.
Shedeur Sanders was projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, or an early second-round pick at the worst. But in a stunning development, Sanders wasn’t taken until the fifth round (No. 144 overall) by the Cleveland Browns on day three.
After the draft, news emerged that Jax Ulbrich, the son of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, obtained Sanders’ phone number and prank called him. Jax pretended to be New Orleans Saints GM Mickey Loomis and told Sanders that the club was planning to draft him.
Per ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, the NFL has fined the Falcons $250,000 and Jeff Ulbrich $100,000 for the prank call incident with Shedeur Sanders. The league cited Atlanta’s “failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential information distributed to the club in advance of the NFL Draft” as the reason for the fines.
The Falcons announced that Jax got Shedeur Sanders’ phone number after viewing it on an open iPad at the Ulbrich family home. In a statement, the club said the Ulbrichs will “participate in community service initiatives” to make up for the prank call incident.
Atlanta had two first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, acquiring a second day one selection in a trade-up with the Los Angeles Rams. They used their picks on Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker and Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr.
Shedeur Sanders Joins Crowded Cleveland QB Room
Sanders should get every opportunity to emerge as the starter on a Cleveland depth chart that lacks a reliable starting option. They used a third-round pick on Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel, who also joins a Browns QB room featuring Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and Deshaun Watson.
