NFL Probe Suggests Calls May Be Fake but Part of Scandal Seems to Embroil League Itself
The NFL's provision of single-purpose phones to select draft prospects has become a thorny issue, causing trouble for players, teams, and the league itself. The issue stems from the increasing frequency of leaked numbers, as aptly demonstrated by the infamous prank call that targeted Shedeur Sanders during the 2025 NFL Draft.
As it turned out, the phone number that received the prank call wasn't Sanders' personal number. Instead, it was one of the league-provided phones that the NFL had distributed just days prior to the draft. Even Sanders himself acknowledged in a released video that the phone "ain't in my name."
It's worth noting that the league provides these phones so that teams can reliably contact prospects without concerns about missed calls or crossed lines, as prospects might have otherwise been unreachable when their personal phones were in use or out of service.
However, there's a twist: The NFL provides these phones primarily to guarantee that broadcasts are not awkwardly interrupted or made uncomfortable by unanswered calls during the draft telecast. According to a former league official, the NFL provides phones so that calls reach prospects at the exact moment teams need them and the exact moment television partners want them on air to maintain seamless broadcasts.
In an ironic twist, the NFL is investigating this very issue. Given that the investigation could potentially implicate the league itself, it'll be interesting to see how the NFL handles this situation. There are questions about whether the league sent out the numbers unnecessarily widely, as not only general managers, their staff, and coaches received the numbers, but secondary staffers and even some media did as well. This broad distribution may have contributed to the unauthorized access issues that have led to prank calls like the one that targeted Sanders.
It's also worth noting that Sanders wasn't the only prospect who received prank calls on his league-issued phone. In fact, league sources estimate that a double-digit number of prospects – some who have not been publicly identified – received prank calls on their league-issued phones. Other players affected include Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter, Browns defensive tackle Mason Graham, Colts tight end Tyler Warren, Commanders offensive lineman Josh Conerly, Bills offensive lineman Chase Lundt, and Eagles quarterback Kyle McCord.
Prank phone calls are nothing new to the NFL, with the most famous example being a prank call in 2013 that involved 20-year-olds managing to get Bills general manager Buddy Nix and Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik on a conference call for six full minutes. However, the 2025 NFL draft seems to mark a watershed moment in the league's struggle to manage prank calls effectively.
With growing concerns about security and privacy, it's probable that the NFL will need to rethink its methods for distributing contact information, even if its own investigation finds no wrongdoing on its part. The Eagles' Executive Vice President Howie Roseman has expressed concerns and suggested that changes are necessary to prevent future leaks and prank calls. The NFL may need to tighten up its distribution list and explore more secure communication methods to protect its draft prospects from such breaches.
- The NLF is currently investigating the issue of unauthorized access to the league-provided phones distributed to draft prospects, as evidenced by prank calls like the one that targeted Shedeur Sanders during the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Sanders wasn't the only prospect who received prank calls on his league-issued phone; league sources estimate that a double-digit number of prospects, including Abdul Carter, Mason Graham, Tyler Warren, Josh Conerly, Chase Lundt, and Kyle McCord, also received such calls.
- The NFL provides these phones primarily to ensure seamless broadcasts during the draft telecast, but the broad distribution of these numbers may have contributed to the unauthorized access issues that have led to prank calls.
- Given the growing concerns about security and privacy, the NFL may need to rethink its methods for distributing contact information, even if its own investigation finds no wrongdoing on its part.
- The Eagles' Executive Vice President, Howie Roseman, has expressed concerns about the current situation and suggested that changes are necessary to prevent future leaks and prank calls, possibly involving the implementation of more secure communication methods.
