Shedeur Sanders went through a turbulent NFL Draft, eventually being selected by the Cleveland Browns, joining a quarterback room full of options. Interestingly, during the weekend and before being drafted, a curious incident took place involving Deion’s son, the Atlanta Falcons, and a member of the team’s staff—defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
In recent years, the NFL has also become known for its strict oversight of unsportsmanlike conduct—not only during the season but also outside of competition. In this case, a committee conducted a thorough investigation into a prank call directed at Sanders and identified those responsible.
The NFL fined the Falcons and Jeff Ulbrich after the son of Atlanta’s defensive coordinator, Jax, prank-called Sanders during the draft. The situation involved making the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback believe that the general manager of the New Orleans Saints was contacting him to select him.
How much money will the Falcons and Ulbrich have to pay in fines?
Regarding the fines, according to NFL Insider Tom Pelissero, the Falcons will have to pay $250,000, while DC Ulbrich has to give $100,000 for the prank his son played on Shedeur Sanders. The call happened when the new Browns quarterback had not yet been selected and was streaming live.
Why did the NFL sanction Jeff Ulbrich and the Falcons if the prank was made by Jax?
The reason the NFL decided to penalize the Falcons and Ulbrich was for failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential draft-related information. At the same time, Jax obtained Sanders’ phone number through his father’s iPad and later publicly apologized for his conduct.
see also
How much does Jeff Ulbrich make? A look at the salary of the Atlanta Falcons DC
Although Jeff Ulbrich was not directly involved, the league deemed that the lack of proper security measures justified the penalties. The Falcons issued an official apology and announced that the Ulbrich family will participate in community service initiatives as part of the consequences of the incident.
