Key Takeaways
- The NFL suspended Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. eight regular-season games without pay under its personal conduct policy following his February arrest in Florida after a domestic dispute involving WNBA player Rickea Jackson.
- Pearce, who led all rookies with a franchise-record 10.5 sacks last season, can play in preseason but is barred from regular-season action until November 2, further depleting a Falcons pass rush already missing injured first-rounder Jalon Walker.
- He entered a Florida pretrial intervention program requiring therapy and no contact with Jackson, while the suspension limits his access to team facilities mostly to mental health services until he’s fully reinstated.
James Pearce Jr. will miss half of the Atlanta Falcons’ regular-season schedule after the NFL suspended the second-year edge rusher for eight games without pay under its personal conduct policy. The league announced the punishment on Friday, August 14, six months after Pearce was arrested in Florida following a domestic dispute involving WNBA player Rickea Jackson. The decision is final, and Pearce will not appeal.
According to The New York Times, Pearce can still participate in preseason games, including Atlanta’s opener against the Denver Broncos, but his suspension officially begins August 30. He can return November 2, putting him in position to make his regular-season debut when the Falcons face the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid on November 8.
“We were anticipating a suspension, so we’ve been pretty intentional about how we’ve planned for it,” Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said following Atlanta’s 27-7 preseason loss to Denver. Pearce recorded two tackles before leaving the locker room ahead of media availability.
Stefanski declined to weigh in on whether eight games was appropriate. “We trust the process that is in place,” he said. “James continues to do everything in his power to be a great teammate and work very hard on himself in the building and outside the building.”
Pearce’s absence will create another hole in Atlanta’s pass rush. Jalon Walker, another 2025 first-round selection, is already out for the season after tearing his ACL during training camp. Pearce, meanwhile, is coming off a rookie campaign in which his 10.5 sacks led all first-year players and established a Falcons rookie franchise record.
The NFL discipline is separate from the criminal case Pearce has been navigating since his February 7 arrest in Doral, Florida. Authorities accused Pearce of following Jackson as she drove toward a police station and intentionally striking her vehicle multiple times. Police alleged that Pearce fled when officers attempted to take him into custody, crashed his vehicle, and continued fleeing on foot.
Jackson later obtained a protective order against Pearce. In her petition, she said she had driven toward the police station because she “knew James was going to hurt me” and expressed fear that he would kill her without court intervention.
Pearce ultimately entered a Florida pretrial intervention program that gives him a path to having the charges dismissed. His requirements include therapy, staying away from Jackson and avoiding further legal trouble. His attorney, Yale Sanford, previously said Pearce had “taken responsibility for his mental health” following the arrest.
The suspension carries additional restrictions. During the first half of it, Pearce generally cannot enter the Falcons’ facility except to receive mental health services from the team clinician. He can return later for meetings, coaching, and strength work, but cannot practice until his suspension ends.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text “START” to 88788 for confidential support 24/7.
