Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr., the 26th overall pick in the 2025 draft who led all NFL rookies with 10.5 sacks, the most by a first-year player since Micah Parsons in 2021, was suspended Friday for the first eight games of the 2026 regular season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.
He did not appeal. The suspension is final.
The incident: on February 7 in Doral, Florida, Pearce allegedly used his vehicle to repeatedly ram into a car driven by his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson, in an alleged attempt to stop her from reaching a police station.
Officers responded to Jackson's call. Pearce fled in his vehicle, crashed it and fled on foot before being arrested.
He was charged with three felonies, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, and resisting an officer with violence, and a misdemeanor stalking count. He entered a six-month pretrial intervention program in April that could result in the felony charges being dropped if he meets all conditions.
His suspension begins August 30 and he is eligible for reinstatement November 2, the week the Falcons play the Bengals in Madrid, Spain.
The timing could not be worse for Atlanta's defense: their other 2025 first-round edge rusher, Jalon Walker, tore his ACL in training camp and is out for the season.
If you or someone you know has been affected by domestic violence, help is available 24 hours a day through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233