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The 2025 NFL Draft took a weird turn when reports indicated that Shedeur Sanders received a prank call from the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Since the incident, Ulbrich's son issued an apology to Sanders, and the league fined the organization $250,000 and Ulbrich $100,000.
Weeks after the prank call, the 48-year-old defensive coordinator finally opened up about the situation. He admits he never felt his job was in peril and claims he felt nothing but support from the Falcons, according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN.
“In all honesty, I never went there, but I felt nothing but support from the organization in every single way — from the people that worked the line in the cafeteria to [owner Arthur Blank] himself, all of them,” Ulbrich said Wednesday. “I felt great support from him. It was one of the biggest reasons, in all honesty, that I came back here, because of the organization and what I think of this building.”
The prank call heard around the world took place after Ulbrich's son found Shedeur Sanders' phone number in a list given to Falcons' staff members. His son dialed the number and impersonated the general manager of the New Orleans Saints, Mickey Loomis, leading the former Colorado star to believe he was about to be picked by the organization.
After the Falcons and Jeff Ulbrich each received penalties from the NFL, the two sides have seemingly maintained a good relationship. Atlanta hired Ulbrich as defensive coordinator in January after he served as the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets. He filled in as the interim head coach for the Jets after the franchise fired Robert Saleh.
This isn't Ulbrich's first stint with the Falcons. He was initially hired in 2015 as the team's linebackers coach, where he held that position for four seasons. In 2020, he was promoted to an assistant defensive coordinator role and even filled in as the interim defensive coordinator for Atlanta that season.
After a roller coaster of a time with the Jets, Ulbrich has the opportunity to supplant himself as a consistent coach in Atlanta. He'll be able to prove himself as a defensive coordinator with Raheem Morris serving as the head coach.
