The NFL has fined the Atlanta Falcons $250,000 and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich $100,000 over the leak of Shedeur Sanders’ phone number before the 2025 NFL Draft, the league announced Wednesday. Specifically, the league said the fines stem from the organization’s failure to prevent the disclosure of confidential information distributed to the club in advance of the NFL Draft.

Days after Sanders received a prank call from an unknown phone number on the second night of the draft, Ulbrich’s son, Jax, admitted to being the one who obtained and shared the number of Sanders’ private draft phone. Sanders received the phone Thursday and only shared the number with the NFL and teams, which prompted an investigation from the league. In a video that was shared on various social media platforms, Jax can be seen next to the person who made the call to Sanders.

The Falcons released a statement Sunday apologizing to Sanders.

“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 said in a statement. “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 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.”

Jax also offered an apology via his Instagram account:

“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,” Jax said. “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.

“Thank you for accepting my call earlier today, I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me,” Jax added.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL is still investigating potential prank calls to other draft prospects made during draft week, but none are related to the Falcons or Sanders.

After the fines were announced, the Falcons released a statement saying the organization accepts the discipline and also that Ulbrich and his family will work with the team to “participate in community service initiatives in relation to last week’s matter.”

Sanders downplayed the prank phone call at his introductory news conference with the Cleveland Browns, not giving it too much attention.

“It didn’t really have an impact on me, because it was just like, I mean, ‘OK,’” Sanders said. “I don’t feed into negativity or I don’t feed into that stuff. You’ve seen on Deion [Sanders] Jr.’s YouTube video. My reaction to it, I don’t — it is what it is. I think, of course, it was childish. Of course, I feel like it was a childish act, but everybody does childish things here and there.”

(Photo: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)