Atlanta Falcons’ edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is facing an eight-game suspension at the start of the 2026 season due to a breach of the league’s personal conduct regulations, as announced by the NFL on Friday. Pearce was taken into custody in February following an altercation with his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson, in Doral, Florida. The charges against Pearce, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, eluding police, resisting arrest, and misdemeanor stalking, could be dismissed if he complies with a pretrial intervention program involving random drug screenings, maintaining distance from Jackson, and staying clear of legal issues for a year.
Despite the impending suspension, Pearce will be eligible to participate in pre-season games and team activities until August 30. His return is scheduled for November 2, following the Falcons’ Week 8 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and ahead of their game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain.
The Falcons are currently grappling with a weakened pass rush unit after Jalon Walker’s season-ending ACL injury. The team’s defensive lineup now includes Christian Harris, JD Bertrand, Samson Ebukam, Kendal Daniels, and Bralen Trice, with the addition of Cameron Sample following Walker’s absence. Pearce, who was selected in a trade during the 2025 draft, played a pivotal role in strengthening the Falcons’ pass rush, leading the team with 10 1/2 sacks during his debut season.
In a series of suspensions announced by the NFL, Pearce was one of four players penalized. Dorance Armstrong, Nazeeh Johnson, and Phidarian Mathis were also suspended for varying violations. Armstrong will miss the Commanders’ season opener against Philadelphia for a personal conduct policy violation, while Johnson and Mathis received suspensions for performance-enhancer policy breach and substances of abuse policy infringement, respectively. According to league regulations, the players are permitted to train and compete with their teams until August 30, when the final 53-player rosters must be set.
Johnson is slated to make a comeback for the Titans’ home game against Cleveland on October 25, while Mathis can rejoin Buffalo for their home game against New England on October 4. Johnson, who previously played for the Chiefs, signed with the Titans in late July, just before the start of training camp, after enduring injuries that limited his playtime in prior seasons. Mathis, on the other hand, spent his initial NFL seasons split between Washington and the Bills, with a total of 23 games under his belt.
