NFL Fines Atlanta Falcons and Coach Jeff Ulbrich $350,000 for Draft Day Prank Call Involving Shedeur Sanders.

The National Football League (NFL) has imposed fines on the Atlanta Falcons and their assistant coach Jeff Ulbrich following an incident involving a prank call to quarterback Shedeur Sanders during the NFL Draft. The prank, which involved Ulbrich’s son, led to the Falcons being fined $250,000 and Ulbrich personally facing a $100,000 penalty. This disciplinary action was confirmed by an NFL spokesperson in a statement to CBS News.

The incident occurred on April 25, during the second day of the NFL Draft. Shedeur Sanders, who was eventually selected by the Cleveland Browns, received a phone call from an individual impersonating Mickey Loomis, the general manager of the New Orleans Saints. The caller initially led Sanders to believe he would be drafted by the Saints before revealing the call was a prank. The prank call was traced back to Ulbrich’s son, who had accessed Sanders’s contact information via his father’s iPad and shared it with a friend.

The NFL’s decision to fine the Falcons and Ulbrich was based on their failure to safeguard confidential information that had been distributed to the club prior to the draft. The league emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the draft process, highlighting that any breach of this nature is taken seriously. The fines serve as a reminder to all teams and personnel about the importance of adhering to league protocols and respecting the privacy of draft prospects.

In response to the incident, the Atlanta Falcons acknowledged the breach and expressed their commitment to ensuring such an event does not occur in the future. The team stated that they are reviewing their internal processes and will implement measures to prevent similar breaches. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders has not publicly commented on the prank, as he prepares to embark on his professional career with the Cleveland Browns.