The Atlanta Falcons have announced the tragic death of their defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich's wife, Cristina. She was just 48 years old.
The NFL team shared a heartbreaking statement, revealing that Cristina died of cancer, which she had been battling since 2025, on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
"Cristina was a devoted wife, mother and friend whose strength, grace and resilience touched all who knew her," the Falcons said in a statement on Friday, July 31.
"She was a constant source of love and support to Jeff, their family and the broader Falcons community.
"On behalf of the entire organization, we extend our deepest condolences to Jeff, their children, and all who loved Cristina."
Falcons owner Arthur Blank also shared a tribute to the mom-of-three, writing: "Cristina will always be an important part of our Falcons family. My heart is with Jeff, Samantha, Jax, Jace and the entire Ulbrich family during this unimaginable time.
© Getty Images"It was always evident how deeply Cristina loved her family and how fiercely she supported them. 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."
He concluded: "The greatest legacy Cristina leaves behind is the family she loved so completely, and her strength and spirit will continue to shine through them."
© Getty ImagesFalcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said: "It's a difficult time for the Ulbrich family. It's a difficult time for the Falcons family. It's a difficult time for everyone who knew and loved Cristina.
"Like any family, we will support Jeff and the kids. We will put our arms around him and the kids, literally, as an organization."
Kevin continued: "I will let Jeff address you guys when the time is appropriate and he can share his thoughts, but just wanted everyone to know that we are obviously with him and the kids in the short term and the long term.
© Getty Images"We will make sure that we put our arms around them. ... It's heartbreaking, and we will make sure we are a family through all of this."
Jeff was absent at the start of training camp in Flowery Branch, Ga, this week due to a personal matter.
He and Cristina met in 1997 while he was on a recruiting trip at the University of Hawaii, where he played three seasons before spending a decade with the San Francisco 49ers.
© Getty ImagesJeff joined the Falcons last season as defensive coordinator but was previously on the coaching staff from 2015 to 2020.
Before his latest stint with the Falcons, he was the interim head coach and defensive coordinator of the New York Jets.
He and Cristina share three children: daughter Samantha and sons Jax and Jace. The form of cancer she had been suffering from hasn't been revealed.
