James

Pearce

Pearce’s status is related to a back injury that apparently flared up in Friday’s practice, per head coach Kevin Stefanski. Pearce was a full participant in practice, and teams said he will operate on a pitch count, so it seems highly unlikely he will be scratched on game day. In addition to Pearce, the Falcons also listed LB Yasir Abdullah (hamstring), WR Beaux Collins (hip), LB Divine Deablo (forearm), and OT Cameron Williams (ankle) as questionable for Week 9.

Pearce is eligible to play in Week 9 against the Bengals and will likely join the team when it flies to Madrid for the international matchup. Pearce’s return should provide a nice spark to the 17th-ranked Falcons’ defense after the 2025 first-rounder racked up 10.5 sacks and 10 TFLs as a rookie while totaling 26 tackles.

“He’s done everything that we have asked, everything that he has been allowed to do, he’s done a great job,” Stefanski said while saying that Pearce would play in Madrid against the Bengals. Pearce was suspended after violating the league’s personal conduct policy for three felonies and one misdemeanor for his role in a car chase with ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson. Pearce’s felony charges were aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person.

The NFL determined that Pearce violated the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. He will be suspended without pay, but is allowed to participate in all preseason activities, including games. The suspension begins on August 30th, and he will be eligible for reinstatement on November 2nd. The Falcons go on bye in Week 11, so Week 9 marks his earliest possible return to the field. Pearce was arrested in February and initially charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person.

Atlanta “appears to be waiting” on the league to decide how they want to punish Pearce. Cameron Sutton was suspended eight games in 2024 for a similar incident, which Kendall mentions and certainly could serve as a blueprint for how this plays out. Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said they have not received any communication from the league on this subject. It certainly would be surprising if Pearce weren’t eventually suspended to some extent.

Pearce is in the middle of an ongoing legal situation stemming from a February arrest that resulted in him being charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor. The 22-year-old pass-rusher recently entered a pre-trial intervention program that can result in all charges being dismissed if he meets the conditions of the program, and the league is reportedly “closely monitoring all developments” with Pearce. We don’t yet know if the league plans to hand down a suspension to Pearce, but it wouldn’t be surprising if some disciplinary action was taken after everything is resolved in his case.

From Rapoport, “Earlier today, Pearce entered into a six-month pre-trial intervention program that, if conditions are met, will result in all charges being dismissed.” Pearce was initially charged with a misdemeanor and three felonies: aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person. This deal would allow him to walk away with no jail time and no admission of guilt. The NFL could still suspend him at some point, but it does look like he has avoided career-altering legal trouble.

This does not come as a surprise, as Pearce is currently facing charges for three felonies, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, stemming from a February arrest in which he reportedly used his vehicle to collide with another vehicle during a domestic incident with WNBA player Rickea Jackson. The team has remained non-committal about when Pearce could return, but it’s possible they will opt to keep him away from the facilities until this matter is resolved.

Pearce was charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor for his role in a car chase with ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson. Pearce’s felony charges were aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person. Stefanski said “we’re working through it” and Cunningham said it was an “ongoing legal matter” while adding he’s “not gonna touch on that right now.” Pearce’s status with the team continues to be up in the air.

Pearce’s felony charges include “aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person.” His fourth arrest charge of felony aggravated stalking was changed to a misdemeanor. Per Raimondi, “Pearce allegedly followed the car of [WNBA player Rickea] Jackson, his ex-girlfriend, and repeatedly used his vehicle to collide with hers as she attempted to reach the Doral (Florida) police station.” A police chase allegedly ensued. After crashing his vehicle, Pearce fled on foot but was eventually caught and arrested. Pearce’s 2026 availability appears to be up in the air.