Looks Like the Joke’s On Them: NFL Cracks Down Over Shedeur Sanders Prank
After all the jokes surrounding the now-viral Shedeur Sanders prank call, it looks like star athlete will have the last laugh.
The NLF just dropped a serious bag of fines on the Atlanta Falcons and their defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. According to ESPN, the team has been slapped with a $250,000 fine, and Coach Ulbrich himself has to cough up another $100,000 for failing to protect confidential NFL Draft info.
The drama started when Ulbrich’s 21-year-old son, Jax, thought it’d be cute to prank call Shedeur Sanders while the young athlete was waiting to get drafted. Reportedly, Jax wrote down Sanders’ number from his dad’s open iPad during a family visit and used it to hit him with a fake call — all for laughs. But the league saw no humor in it.
In an official statement, the NFL cited the fine was due to the Falcons “failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential information distributed to the club in advance of the NFL Draft.”
The Falcons, trying to clean up this mess fast, released their own statement:
“We appreciate the NFL’s swift and thorough review of last week’s data exposure and the event that transpired due to it. We were proactive in addressing the situation internally and cooperated fully with the league throughout the process, and accept the discipline levied to Coach Jeff Ulbrich and the organization.”
“We are confident in our security policies and practices and will continue to emphasize adherence to them with our staff whether on or off premises.”
They added that the Up rich family will now be involved in community service efforts as a way to give back and move forward.
Shedeur Sanders Still Rising: Browns Take a Chance on Him
Despite all the foolishness, Shedeur Sanders stayed focused and blessed. On Day 3 of the draft, the Cleveland Browns picked up the former Colorado QB, and Sanders responded with nothing but gratitude and grace.
“Thank you everybody for all the support,” Sanders said. “Thank you to the Browns organization for giving me a chance. That’s all I need. … We know these decisions, things happen. … You can’t control the uncontrollable. You can’t control that. You gonna stay positive and stay happy at all times. Know God got you. I knew God had me.”
NFL Making It Clear: Privacy Ain’t No Joke
This isn’t just about a prank. It’s about setting boundaries and protecting the integrity of the league. When personal contact info tied to the draft process gets misused… even by a coach’s own kid — the NFL has to step in.
NFL Sends A Message With Fines Over Shedeur Sanders Draft Prank Call
And while the Falcons got their wake-up call, Shedeur Sanders came out of this looking like a real one — poised, blessed, and still on the path to greatness.
.@ShedeurSanders is a Cleveland Brown@Browns | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/RSgFvyd3zU
— NFL (@NFL) April 26, 2025
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