Atlanta Falcons star James Pearce Jr has been given an eight-game suspension by the NFL after his offseason arrest for an alleged incident involving then-girlfriend, WNBA star Rickea Jackson.
Pearce initially faced three felony charges after his February 7 arrest: aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person, while a felony aggravated stalking charge was changed to a misdemeanor. A charge of aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer was dropped.
He later agreed to enter a pretrial intervention program, which his attorneys said would allow him to resolve the three felony charges stemming from what police called a domestic dispute.
‘Mr. Pearce Jr. will be entering a six-month diversion program. Upon completion of the six months without violation, the state will dismiss all felony and misdemeanor charges,’ one of Pearce’s attorneys, Jacob Nunez, said in a statement to The Associated Press in April.
‘James is focused on moving forward, rejoining his teammates and the Atlanta Falcons organization as a whole, performing at the highest level, and continuing to be a team player on and off the field,’ Nunez and another attorney, Yale Sanford, said in another statement.
But while he is set to avoid jail time after the deal, he has still been suspended for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
James Pearce Jr has been suspended for eight games by the NFL before the 2026 season
Pearce Jr was involved in an alleged incident with then-girlfriend Rickea Jackson
An NFL statement read: ‘James Pearce Jr. of the Atlanta Falcons is suspended for the club’s first eight regular season games without pay for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy.
‘Pearce is eligible to participate in all preseason activities, including games. The suspension will begin on August 30, and he will be eligible for reinstatement on Monday, November 2.’
Pearce spent a night behind bars after being arrested and released the following day on a $20,500 bond. Remarkable images emerged on social media shortly after, showing six police officers pinning Pearce to the ground while trying to detain him.
In a criminal complaint, Jackson told police that Pearce followed her vehicle in a white Lamborghini SUV then exited his vehicle and attempted to open her driver’s side door when she stopped at a red light. After she sped away, she alleged he pursued her in his vehicle and ‘intentionally collided with the rear of her vehicle’ before cutting her off with his car and hitting her car head-on.
An arrest affidavit said Pearce refused an initial order from police to ‘get on the floor’ then drove away and hit a police officer’s left knee with his knee ‘intentionally in an attempt to evade arrest.’
The NFL star reportedly dated the Los Angeles Sparks player for around three years before they separated shortly before the alleged incident. She filed for a protective order in February, telling a court that she ‘feared for her life.’
In court documents, seen by the Daily Mail, which were filed two days after Pearce Jr’s arrest, Jackson wrote that Pearce ‘verbally and physically abused me on more than one occasion.’ He was also accused of threatening to kill her and place a bag over her head, according to the court filing.
His lawyers told ESPN that they stood by a statement made after his arrest, saying that he ‘maintains his innocence’ and urging ‘the public to understand that while allegations have the power to shape a narrative, that it is hardly the full, complete story.’
Pearce initially faced three felony charges after he was arrested but they were later resolved
Pearce has been in camp preparing for the new season but knowing he faced suspension
Pearce was absent from Atlanta’s voluntary OTA activities earlier in the offseason, but has been present at training camp, being praised by the organization for his approach to football despite the looming suspension.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said he had ‘no update’ on Pearce Jr last week, adding: ‘He’s doing a nice job. And I appreciate the work he is continuing to put into it (in practice). He is continuing to do everything we are asking him to do.’
Falcons president and CEO Greg Beadles also discussed the situation last week, saying: ‘First of all, James has been doing really well.
‘Everything that we want him to do on and off of the field, so that’s been great. And we do expect sometime in the next several days that we’ll hear from the league. Just officially what the stance is going to be with him going forward.’
The Falcons finally found a pass rush last season after selecting Jalon Walker at No.15 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft then trading back into the first round to take Pearce from Tennessee with the No.26 overall pick.
He had 10.5 sacks as a rookie, with Walker also having 36 tackles and 5.5 sacks, but both players will be missing for the start of next season. Walker tore his ACL in training camp, while Pearce will now miss the first eight games.
The Falcons begin their season in Pittsburgh against the Steelers in Week 1. Pearce will be eligible to return when they host the Cincinnati Bengals on November 8.
