Falcons edge rusher James Pearce suspended 8 games by NFL

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          James Pearce Jr. set to enter intervention program (1:11)

          • Marc RaimondiAug 14, 2026, 03:28 PM ET
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              Marc Raimondi's first year covering the Falcons was 2024, but it wasn't his first year at ESPN. He joined the company in 2019 and was a top combat sports reporter. He also covered professional wrestling and wrote the book "Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro Wrestling's New World Order Changed America," which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2025. Raimondi also worked for the New York Post and Newsday, beginning in 2009, covering high school and college sports, plus the NFL, NFL, MLB and NHL.
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          ATLANTA -- Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. has been suspended by the NFL for eight games due to violating the league's personal conduct policy when he was arrested on domestic violence charges in February, the league announced Friday afternoon.

          The league said in a statement that Pearce will be eligible to participate in all preseason activities, including games. His suspension will begin Aug. 30, and he will be eligible to be reinstated Nov. 2. The Falcons play the Denver Broncos at home in their preseason opener Friday night.

          Pearce did not appeal his suspension and the eight-game ban is final, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said.

          Pearce, 22, allegedly used a vehicle to repeatedly ram into a car driven by his ex-girlfriend and WNBA player Rickea Jackson in an alleged effort to stop her from reaching a police station during a domestic dispute on Feb. 7 in Doral, Florida. Police officers responded to Jackson's call and Pearce fled in his vehicle before crashing it and fleeing on foot. Pearce was also accused of resisting arrest.

          Pearce was facing felony charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing police and resisting arrest, as well as misdemeanor stalking.

          But, in May, Pearce entered into a pretrial intervention program. If he stays out of legal trouble for one year, passes random drug tests and stays away from Jackson, the charges will be dropped.

          Jackson filed a petition for a protective order against Pearce in February, which she dropped in lieu of the intervention program. In the petition for the protective order, Jackson wrote that she was "in fear of my life" during the Feb. 7 alleged incident and if the court did not intervene she believed "James will kill me."

          Pearce was not with the Falcons for most of the spring, but took part in mandatory minicamp and has been with the team throughout training camp this summer. He has mostly worked with the reserves in camp, despite being the team's top pass rusher last season.

          Pearce, the No. 26 pick in 2025, had 10.5 sacks last season, a Falcons rookie record and finished third in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.