{
  "id": 18949340,
  "title": "James Pearce Jr. is active for the Falcons",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/james-pearce-jr-is-active-for-the-falcons",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-08T14:08:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/james-pearce-jr-active-falcons-140820373.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "James Pearce Jr. has returned to the active roster of the Falcons, marking the end of his eight-game suspension. His NFL season officially began on Sunday in Madrid. The defensive end is set to play in the Week 9 matchup against the Bengals, despite experiencing back tightness during practice that limited his participation. Notable absences from the team's lineup for the game include quarterback Andy Dalton, who was serving as an emergency backup, quarterback Jack Strand, receiver Zachariah Branch, cornerback Billy Bowman Jr., cornerback Robert Longerbeam, and defensive end Drake Jackson. Both Bowman and running back Brian Robinson Jr. were considered healthy enough to return, having missed the past two games due to injuries. Defensive end Samson Ekuban also did not play due to placement on injured reserve. Pearce, a first-round pick who will enter his second season, had recorded 10.5 sacks during his rookie year, ranking third in the NFL for Defensive Rookie of the Year votes. Charges of felony assault against him, stemming from an incident where he repeatedly hit his ex-girlfriend's vehicle and resisted arrest, led to the suspension.",
  "summary": "The eight-game suspension of Falcons defensive end James Pearce Jr. has ended.",
  "key_points": [
    "James Pearce Jr. returns to active roster, ending eight-game suspension",
    "NFL season starts in Madrid on Sunday",
    "Weekend game absence includes Dalton, Strand, Branch, Bowman, Longerbeam, Jackson"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}