My son’s actions were absolutely inexcusable

Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has publicly acknowledged his responsibility in the prank call targeting quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The call happened during the 2025 NFL draft. The apology comes as both Ulbrich and the Falcons organization face substantial financial penalties from the NFL.

Ulbrich’s 21-year-old son, Jax, sparked controversy when he obtained Sanders’ phone number from his father’s unsecured iPad. He placed a fake call pretending to be from the New Orleans Saints. The younger Ulbrich called Sanders during the draft, falsely telling the quarterback they would select him with their next pick.

At a press conference held Wednesday at the Falcons’ facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, the defensive coordinator addressed the situation directly. The public statement marked his first comments since the NFL announced combined fines totaling $350,000.

“First of all, I’d like to publicly apologize to Shedeur and the Sanders family for what occurred,” Ulbrich said at the start of his press conference. “Second of all, I want to publicly apologize to Mr. Blank, Terry Fontenot, Raheem Morris, and the entire Falcons organization. My actions in not protecting confidential data were inexcusable. My son’s actions were absolutely inexcusable and for that we are both deeply sorry.”

Shedeur Sanders, who was expected to be selected in the first round, eventually was picked by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round on Day 3 of the draft. The incident occurred as Sanders waited for his name to be called on Day 2, creating confusion during what should have been a celebratory moment.

“We take full responsibility” – Jeff Ulbrich accepts NFL punishment for Shedeur Sanders incident without appeal

The NFL’s disciplinary action includes a $100,000 fine for Jeff Ulbrich personally and a $250,000 penalty against the Falcons organization. This is for “failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential information distributed to the club in advance of the NFL Draft.”

The punishment represents approximately 6% of Ulbrich’s reported $1.6 million salary for 2025, according to Front Office Sports.

Ulbrich made it clear that neither he nor the team would contest the league’s decision.

“The NFL has taken action and I fully respect the punishment,” Ulbrich said. “We take full responsibility — my son and myself — and we will not appeal the fine in any way,” he stated. “Going forward, I promise my son and I will work hard to demonstrate we are better than this.”

“They were amazingly gracious — more gracious than they needed to be in a moment like this,” Ulbrich said regarding the Shedeur Sanders family’s response to his apology.

Before his father’s public statement, Jax Ulbrich also posted an apology on Instagram, calling his actions “completely inexcusable, embarrassing, and shameful.”

The NFL continues investigating other prank calls made to draft prospects, including Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and tight end Tyler Warren. The league has said these calls are unrelated to the Sanders incident.

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Sanu Abraham is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda. As an avid football fan, he provides unique perspectives and novel ideas to the coverage of the sport and its many fascinating personalities.

His goal is to write lively and engaging articles that further demonstrate his expertise in the game. Sanu also has an exceptional ability to analyze team strategies and report on the latest developments on the field.

In addition to his sports writing, Sanu holds a postgraduate diploma in filmmaking and creative writing. As a firm believer in the power of storytelling and a keen observer, Sanu aims to document impactful moments through his passionate journalism and image-capturing.

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