Falcons EDGE James Pearce Jr. suspended by the NFL
Falcons EDGE James Pearce Jr. has been suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.
The Atlanta Falcons have suspended their defensive end James Pearce Jr. for the first eight games of the 2026 NFL season due to a violation of the league's personal conduct policy. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Pearce was arrested in February in Doral, Florida, following a domestic dispute involving his ex-girlfriend, Rickea Jackson of the Los Angeles Sparks.
Pearce had an impressive rookie season, leading with 10.5 sacks and being a finalist for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. This suspension adds to the challenges faced by the Falcons' defense, which recently lost starting edge Jalon Walker due to a torn ACL. The team has signed veteran edge rushers Azeez Ojulari and Samson Ebukam to fill in for Pearce and Walker, with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich confident in their abilities to step up.
Pearce has entered a one-year intervention program that could potentially drop all charges against him, and his ex-girlfriend has dismissed the restraining order she had against him. The Falcons have also signed Cameron Sample to provide additional depth on the defensive line.
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