While Shedeur Sanders’ nearly unprecedented slide was the major storyline of Day 1 at the 2025 NFL Draft, a prank call targeting the Colorado quarterback became an equally compelling — and troubling — sidebar on Day 2. Far from a harmless joke, the public humiliation of the incident has led the NFL to step in.
A league spokesperson confirmed that an investigation is underway after videos of the prank call, showing both Sanders’ perspective and the caller’s, were leaked online.
Who Was Responsible for the Shedeur Sanders Prank Call?
The prank call occurred on Day 2 of the NFL Draft as Sanders continued his unexpected fall out of the first round. Most scouts had the Colorado standout ranked as the second-best quarterback in this class, but he eventually slid to pick No. 144. Before he received his official call, however, pranksters attempted to deceive him.
Over time, a video surfaced showing individuals wearing an Ole Miss T-shirt impersonating Mickey Loomis, the general manager of the New Orleans Saints, claiming Sanders was about to be selected. Sanders quickly caught on to the ruse.
What makes this situation particularly concerning is the type of phone used: a special device issued by Boost Mobile specifically for draft communication. Speaking to NBC, Sanders confirmed, “[The] number was only in an email thread that the NFL sent out to only teams.”
However, Sanders was hesitant to directly blame any team, saying, “It could be one of their kids — it could be one of their kids that [saw] the email and just took the number.” Given the circumstances, the NFL has formally announced that it is “looking into the matter.”
Tyler Warren, Other NFL Players Victimized
Sanders was not the only player affected, compounding the issue. NFL insider Jordan Schultz confirmed that first-round pick Tyler Warren was also prank-called during the draft.
“I’m told Warren’s camp believes it was the same number and/or area code involved in the Shedeur Sanders prank on Friday night,” Schultz wrote. “NFL teams have access to these numbers, and it’s clear someone passed it along — whether to family or friends.”
ESPN’s Stephen Holder further reported that Warren and Sanders weren’t the only players pranked during the 2025 NFL Draft. He wrote: “Per source: Not only did Colts first round pick Tyler Warren also receive a prank call; there are believed to be others, too.”
In Warren’s case, the sting was softened when he was selected just seven picks later by the Indianapolis Colts. For Sanders, however, the wait lasted through the first two days of the draft. Regardless, the nature of the incidents demanded league intervention and an official investigation.
Internet sleuths quickly offered a lead. NFL aggregator Dov Kleiman shared a rumor saying that Jax Ulbrich — the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich — was to blame for the hoax. Jax later temporarily deleted his Instagram account.
𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗦: Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich’s son Jax was allegedly behind the Shedeur Sanders prank call.
He has since deleted his Instagram account…
Sanders’ private number was only given to NFL executives.
Just an awful situation. https://t.co/ozc3xUJ8yo pic.twitter.com/ltIL6Vk1wH
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman)
Eventually, the rumors were confirmed, and the Falcons released a statement on social media regarding the incident.
“The Atlanta Falcons do not condone this behavior and send our sincere apologies to Shedeur Sanders and his family, who we have been in contact with to apologize to, as well as facilitate an apology directly from Jax to the Sanders family,” read the statement.
Statement from the #Falcons on how the prank happened: https://t.co/Su8r8PQYHa pic.twitter.com/IWUcOcSTQo
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate)
According to the statement, Jax, 21, had come across the draft contact phone number while visiting his parents, writing the number down after seeing it on an open iPad. He later conducted the prank call, and his father, the Falcons’ DC, was unaware of the situation until after the fact.
Jax himself also eventually issued a direct apology to Sanders, as indicated in a public apology issued on social media as well. However, the damage had already been done, and there has since been commotion from fans, media, and former players regarding the data breach.
“They got the number from a coach, and that coach should be fired,” said former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant, speculating on the situation before the identity and method had been confirmed.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the Falcons do not plan to take any action against Jeff but are continuing to “review their protocols to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”
The Falcons will not take any action against their defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. They are continuing to review their protocols to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again. https://t.co/uXrJqbF5BU
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)