The NFL has fined the Falcons $250,000 and their defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, $100,000 for their role in the prank call to Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders during the NFL Draft, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The league levied the fines specifically for failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential information distributed to the club in advance of the NFL Draft. Ulbrich’s son, Jax, took Sanders' number from his father's iPad and used it to prank call the Colorado quarterback during the draft. Jax has apologized for the incident.
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The prank call occurred on Friday during the second round of the draft. The Falcons released a statement on Sunday after the leak was revealed, saying the organization would cooperate fully with an NFL investigation.
Here's what to know about the fines handed out today:
Jeff Ulbrich fine, explained
The NFL fined the Falcons $250,000 and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich $100,000 for their role in the prank call made to Shedeur Sanders on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
Sanders experienced a stunning slide in the draft that gained even more attention when he received a call during the second round from someone claiming to be Saints owner Micky Loomis. It turned out to be a prank call from Ulbrich's son, Jax, who had found Sanders' phone number on his father's team-issued iPad.
The Falcons released a statement on Tuesday saying they were "proactive in addressing the situation internally and cooperated fully with the league throughout the process." The team also said that the Ulbrich family will be working to participate in community service related to the matter.