Atlanta Falcons’ James Pearce Jr., the team’s edge rusher, will face an eight-game suspension at the start of the 2026 season due to a breach of the league’s personal conduct regulations, as confirmed by the NFL on Friday. The suspension stems from an incident in February in Doral, Fla., where Pearce was arrested following a domestic altercation with his former girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson. The charges against Pearce include aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing law enforcement, resisting arrest, and misdemeanor stalking. However, these charges could be dismissed if Pearce complies with a pretrial intervention program that mandates random drug testing, maintaining distance from Jackson, and staying clear of legal issues for a year.
Until the suspension commences on August 30, Pearce will be allowed to participate in pre-season matches and all team-related activities. He could potentially return to action on November 2, following the Falcons’ Week 8 clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Subsequently, the Falcons are scheduled to confront the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain.
The Falcons’ pass rush unit faces challenges after Jalon Walker’s season-ending ACL injury, leaving the group with players like Christian Harris, JD Bertrand, Samson Ebukam, Kendal Daniels, and Bralen Trice. To compensate for Walker’s absence, the team acquired Cameron Sample.
In the recent disciplinary actions announced by the NFL, Pearce was one of four players suspended. Dorance Armstrong of the Commanders received a one-game suspension for a personal conduct violation, while Nazeeh Johnson of the Tennessee Titans and Phidarian Mathis of the Buffalo Bills were suspended for six games and three games, respectively. Johnson’s suspension is related to a performance-enhancing substances violation, while Mathis violated the league’s substances of abuse policy.
According to league regulations, the affected players can continue training and playing with their teams until August 30 when teams finalize their 53-player rosters. Johnson becomes eligible for the Titans’ home game against Cleveland on October 25, while Mathis can return for Buffalo’s home match against New England on October 4.
Johnson, with three seasons of experience, previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs and joined the Titans just before the onset of training camp. Meanwhile, Mathis, aged 28, played six games with the Bills last season after spending his initial NFL seasons with Washington.