Why Did the NFL Personally Hand Jeff Ulbrich Shedeur Sanders’s Phone Number? The Untold Story Inside

Here’s the kicker: the NFL slapped the Falcons with a hefty $250,000 fine and their defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich with another $100,000, pinning the blame squarely on them for supposedly leaking confidential info about Shedeur Sanders ahead of the draft. But hold on a second—this narrative that the Falcons were the ones who handed Ulbrich Sanders’s phone number? It doesn’t quite add up. In fact, the league itself was the original source, quietly distributing the updated contact info way too broadly. The whole mess kicked off when the NFL sent out a “Confidential” memo with player numbers, including Sanders’s, to key franchise figures—but then, curiously, followed up with a separate email containing Sanders’s new number that landed in the inboxes of every coach and assistant coach, Ulbrich included. So, the idea that the Falcons blatantly spilled the beans? Nah—Ulbrich got the info straight from the league’s own oversized mailing list. It’s a classic case of misplaced blame, and if you ask me, the NFL’s handling left way too many cooks in the kitchen. Dive deeper into the full story right here: LEARN MORE.

So, basically, ignore any effort by the NFL to spread the word via captive and/or favorable reporters that the Falcons deserve the blame for choosing to share confidential information with Ulbrich. Ulbrich got it straight from the league, thanks to the email that was sent to far more people than those that needed to know it.The process began with the league sending a memo on Wednesday, April 23, to all General Managers, head coaches, player personnel directors, and club IT directors with a list of 45 player phone numbers: 16 who were personally attending the draft, 24 (including Sanders) who were participating virtually, and five who were part of the 2025 International Player Pathway Program and who would be in Green Bay for the draft. The memo was marked “Confidential” at the top.If that was the final communication that contained Sanders’s number, the notion that the Falcons created the problem by sharing the information with Ulbrich would hold water. However, the NFL sent a separate email after the “confidential” memo was distributed. The email was, for some reason, sent to all of the recipients of the NFL’s daily transaction report. That group includes all coaches and assistant coaches.The email, sent on April 23 to “All Waivers [NFL League]” said this: “Sheadeur [sic] Sanders has informed the NFL Player Personnel Department that he has a new cell phone number beginning today.” The email then identifies the new number.Given that Ulbrich’s son reached Sanders, common sense says he used (wait for it) the new number. Which makes sense, since Ulbrich got the email that included one, and only one, number — the new number for Shedeur Sanders.

That is not what occurred.The league sent the information directly to Ulbrich. Here’s what happened.In other words, the NFL sent the email to Ulbrich. PFT has obtained the email. It does not use the word “confidential.”In the aftermath of the NFL’s decision to fine the Falcons 0,000 and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich 0,000 “for failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential information distributed to the club in advance of the NFL Draft,” the NFL has created the impression that the Falcons, not the league, gave Shedeur Sanders’s phone number to Ulbrich.