The Atlanta Falcons family suffered a personal loss recently as Cristina Ulbrich, the wife of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, passed away at 48. And with that, a wave of grief swept through the NFL community, as Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski offered prayers for his colleague.

“A difficult time for the Ulbrich family. It’s a difficult time for the Falcons family. It’s a difficult time for everybody who knew and loved Cristina,” Stefanski told reporters. “So we, like any family, we will support Jeff and the kids, and we’ll put our arms around him and the kids, literally, and as an organization. And I’ll let Jeff address you guys when the time is appropriate, and he can share, you know, his thoughts. But just so you guys know, we are obviously with him and the kids, you know, in the short term and the long term. So we’ll make sure that we put our arms around them.

“Let’s talk football after practice. I’ll catch you guys after that, but just want you to know, everybody to know how we feel, and it’s heartbreaking, and we’ll make sure that we are a family through all of this.”

On Thursday, July 30, the Atlanta Falcons announced that Cristina succumbed to cancer, which she had been battling since early 2025. The Falcons’ training camp kicked off on July 24. However, due to her worsening condition, DC Jeff Ulbrich remained absent from the team’s opening week of training camp to stay by her side.

Members of the Atlanta Falcons organization who knew Jeff Ulbrich and his wife for the past eight years were also deeply saddened by the loss.

“It was always evident how deeply Cristina loved her family and how fiercely she supported them,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank’s statement read. “She faced every challenge with extraordinary courage, strength and grace, inspiring so many through the way she lived and the way she fought. My family and I, along with the entire Falcons family, send our love and prayers for strength to everyone mourning her loss.”

As things stand, Ulbrich is with his family and three children, a daughter named Layla and two sons named Jace and Jax, while HC Kevin Stefanski and the Falcons have extended their support and respect for the family’s privacy. However, with the 2026 NFL season nearing, it remains to be seen when Atlanta’s defensive coordinator will return to the facility.