{"id":27024,"date":"2026-08-04T07:37:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T02:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=27024"},"modified":"2026-08-04T07:37:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T02:37:24","slug":"falcons-jeff-ulbrich-returns-to-practice-after-wifes-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=27024","title":{"rendered":"Falcons&#8217; Jeff Ulbrich Returns to Practice After Wife&#8217;s Death"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator <strong>Jeff Ulbrich<\/strong> has rejoined the team following the death of his wife, <strong>Cristina Ulbrich<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>According to a video shared <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ria_Martin\/status\/2084271429466406950?s=46&amp;t=js2GsN_uvNIqcYUF_ocXkQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">via X<\/a> on Monday, August 3, Jeff, 49, was spotted at the Falcon\u2019s practice camp. The coach can be seen working with players as they gear up for the upcoming NFL season.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff\u2019s return comes three days after news broke that Cristina died following a battle with cancer. She was 49.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCristina was a devoted wife, mother, and friend whose strength, grace, and resilience touched all who knew her,\u201d the Falcons said in a statement on Thursday, July 30. \u201cShe was a constant source of love and support to Jeff, their family, and the broader Falcons community.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"link-related article link-related__with-thumb\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article__thumbnail related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/sports\/news\/wife-of-atlanta-falcons-coach-jeff-ulbrich-dead-at-48\/\" target=\"\" data-source=\"01\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"article__figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2178439726.jpg-jeff-ulbrich-cristina-ulbrich.jpg?crop=0px%2C33px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=400%2C225&amp;quality=70&amp;strip=all\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2178439726.jpg-jeff-ulbrich-cristina-ulbrich.jpg?crop=0px%2C33px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=200%2C113&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 200w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2178439726.jpg-jeff-ulbrich-cristina-ulbrich.jpg?crop=0px%2C33px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=300%2C169&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 300w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2178439726.jpg-jeff-ulbrich-cristina-ulbrich.jpg?crop=0px%2C33px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=400%2C225&amp;quality=70&amp;strip=all 400w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2178439726.jpg-jeff-ulbrich-cristina-ulbrich.jpg?crop=0px%2C33px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=600%2C338&amp;quality=55&amp;strip=all 600w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2178439726.jpg-jeff-ulbrich-cristina-ulbrich.jpg?crop=0px%2C33px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=800%2C450&amp;quality=74&amp;strip=all 800w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2178439726.jpg-jeff-ulbrich-cristina-ulbrich.jpg?crop=0px%2C33px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=900%2C506&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 900w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2178439726.jpg-jeff-ulbrich-cristina-ulbrich.jpg?crop=0px%2C33px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=1000%2C563&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1000w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2178439726.jpg-jeff-ulbrich-cristina-ulbrich.jpg?crop=0px%2C33px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=1200%2C675&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1200w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2178439726.jpg-jeff-ulbrich-cristina-ulbrich.jpg?crop=0px%2C33px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=1600%2C900&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1600w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2178439726.jpg-jeff-ulbrich-cristina-ulbrich.jpg?crop=0px%2C33px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=1800%2C1012&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1800w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2178439726.jpg-jeff-ulbrich-cristina-ulbrich.jpg?crop=0px%2C33px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=1920%2C1080&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 770px) calc(100vw - 6em), 200px\" alt=\"GettyImages-2178439726.jpg jeff ulbrich cristina ulbrich.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<h3 class=\"article__title\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article__title-link related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/sports\/news\/wife-of-atlanta-falcons-coach-jeff-ulbrich-dead-at-48\/\" target=\"\" data-source=\"01\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"related-badge\">Related: <\/span><span class=\"related-title\">Cristina Ulbrich, Wife of Atlanta Falcons Coach Jeff Ulbrich, Dead at 48<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tCristina Ulbrich, the wife of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, has died of cancer. She was 48.\u00a0 \u201cCristina was a devoted wife, mother, and friend whose strength, grace, and resilience touched all who knew her,\u201d the team said in a statement on Thursday, July 30. \u201cShe was a constant source of love and support [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The statement continued, \u201cOn behalf of the entire organization, we extend our deepest condolences to Jeff, their children, and all who loved Cristina. During this incredibly difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with the Ulbrich family. We ask that their privacy be respected as they grieve this profound loss, and we stand with them in support and remembrance of Cristina\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to Jeff, Cristina is survived by the couple\u2019s three children: daughter Samantha as well as sons Jax and Jace.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff briefly stepped away from the team\u2019s training camp, which began on July 29, to focus on his family amid the tragic loss.<\/p>\n<p>Falcons head coach <strong>Kevin Stefanski<\/strong> also spoke out about Cristina\u2019s death, saying it was \u201ca difficult time\u201d for the entire organization.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike any family, we will support Jeff and the kids and we\u2019ll put our arms around him and the kids, literally and as an organization,\u201d Stefanski, 44, told reporters on Friday, July 31. \u201cI\u2019ll let Jeff address you guys when the time is appropriate and he can share his thoughts. But just so you guys know, we are obviously with him and the kids in the short-term and in the long-term. It\u2019s heartbreaking, and we\u2019ll make sure we are a family through all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Falcons players rallied around Jeff as they all mourned Cristina.<\/p>\n<div id=\"news-block\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form  \">\n\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/themes\/us-weekly\/assets\/img\/newsletter-bg-narrow.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"newsletter-form__background background-narrow\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/themes\/us-weekly\/assets\/img\/newsletter-bg-wide.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"newsletter-form__background background-wide\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-signup__success\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<h3>Thank You!<\/h3>\n<p>You have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cFirst, just want to send our prayers out to the Ulbrich family. Very unfortunate,\u201d tight end <strong>Kyle Pitts<\/strong> told reporters on Friday. \u201cWe\u2019re tighter than ever. We\u2019re here for him. We\u2019re for him and the family as well. This is a brotherhood. When one hurts, we\u2019re all hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Linebacker <strong>Bralen Trice<\/strong> added that Jeff is \u201cone of the best coaches\u201d he\u2019s had during his career and his thoughts were with him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust love him up as a unit, as a team,\u201d he said. \u201cThat guy is a huge part of what we got going right now. Without him, we\u2019ve got nothing. He brings the heart, mind, [and] fist. He lives by that and drives us to live by that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has rejoined the team following the death of his wife, Cristina Ulbrich. According to a video shared via X on Monday, August 3, Jeff, 49, was spotted at the Falcon\u2019s practice camp. The coach can be seen working with players as they gear up for the upcoming NFL season&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2254645308.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C1506px%2C791px&resize=1200%2C630&quality=86&strip=all","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27024"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27024\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}