The 2025 NFL Draft became the stage for a cruel prank against one of the most popular players in the class, Shedeur Sanders. After most projections had him as a Day 1 selection, if not a top-three pick, Sanders slid out of the first four rounds before landing as the 144th overall pick.
However, on Day 2, he was the subject of a prank call where the caller pretended to be an NFL executive selecting him in the draft. The internet sleuths were quick to figure out who the perpetrator was, leading to an issued apology from the Atlanta Falcons and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. But will the long-time coach face any consequences for the incident?
What’s Next for Jeff Ulbrich After the Shedeur Sanders Prank Call?
This year’s NFL Draft was one of the more unpredictable iterations of the event in recent memory. Whether it was shocking trades or mind-blowing slides, the three-day extravaganza had it all. However, the prank on Sanders became a major story.
As videos from both sides of the call emerged, social media quickly theorized that Jax Ulbrich, son of the Falcons’ DC and former New York Jets interim head coach, was responsible for the act. Soon, confirmation came in the form of a statement from the Falcons and an apology from the DC himself.
“Earlier in the week, Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, unintentionally came across the draft contact phone number for Shedeur Sanders off an open iPad while visiting his parent’s home and wrote the number down to later conduct a prank call,” the Falcons’ statement read.
“Jeff Ulbrich was unaware of the data exposure or any facets of the prank and was made aware of the above only after the fact. The Atlanta Falcons do not condone this behaviour and send our sincerest 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.”
The next question was whether the incident would require some punishment for Ulbrich or the Falcons as a whole. While the comment did not give any clear indication, it was clear that Atlanta had been contacted by the league in regards to the prank.
“We have also been in contact with the NFL and will continue to cooperate fully with any inquiries we may receive from the NFL league office. We are thoroughly reviewing all protocols and updating if necessary to help prevent an incident like this from happening again,” the Falcons’ statement read.
However, key NFL insider Adam Schefter shared a message about the ramifications of the actions, giving insight into what is next for Atlanta.
“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,” Schefter reported.
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) April 27, 2025
Additionally, to express his guilt, Jax Ulbrich made a public statement on his Instagram account after deleting it previously.
“On Friday night I made a tremendous mistake. Shedeur, what I did was completely inexcusable, embarrassing, and shameful. I’m so sorry I took away from your moment, it was selfish and childish. I could never imagine getting ready to celebrate one of the greatest moments of your life and I made a terrible mistake and messed with that moment.”
Jax Ulbrich, the son of #Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich, has released a statement apologizing for his prank call to Shedeur Sanders during the 2025 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/dalUjHjrxZ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 27, 2025
His statement also confirmed that the two sides had been in contact directly as well. “Thank you for accepting my call earlier today, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. @shedeursanders”
While some people, including legendary Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, wanted severe consequences against the responsible party, it seems like the league and the Atlanta Falcons management will not be going that route.