Will Falcons fire Jeff Ulbrich after son Jax's prank-calling saga? NFL side makes decision

Atlanta Falcons issued a statement confirming that their defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich's son, Jax, made the prank call to Shedeur Sanders

Updated on: Apr 28, 2025, 04:00:43 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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The Atlanta Falcons on Sunday issued a statement confirming that their defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich's son, Jax, made the prank call to former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders on day 2 of the NFL Draft. The 21-year-old Berry College student said he has apologized to the now-Cleveland Browns player.

Jeff Ulbrich's son made a prank call to Shedeur Sanders on day 2 of the NFL Draft (File photo/AP)

Sanders came into the draft as a top 5 prospect, but fell through the ranks and was finally picked by the Browns in the fifth round. However, in a shocking moment, the 23-year-old received a prank call on Friday that he initially believed was from general manager Mickey Loomis of the New Orleans Saints, a team then believed to have interest in him.

“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. 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 Falcons said.

On Sunday, it was revealed that Tyler Warren also received a prank call and his team believes it was from the same person who called Sanders. The NFL has not confirmed the identity of Warren's prank caller.

Will the Falcons fire Jeff Ulbrich?

“The Falcons will not take any action against their defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich,” ESPN's Adam Schefter reported. “They are continuing to review their protocols to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”

The defensive coordinator has not coached a game for the Falcons yet. He joined their staff after a stint with the New York Jets, where he worked with Robert Salah.

According to reports, Eagles sixth-rounder Kyle McCord also received prank calls. We do not know if Ulbrich was behind the call.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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