Atlanta Falcons’ James Pearce Jr., a prominent edge rusher, has been handed an eight-game suspension for the upcoming 2026 season due to a breach of the league’s personal conduct regulations, the NFL disclosed on Friday. The suspension stems from an incident in February where Pearce was arrested following a domestic altercation with his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson, in Doral, Fla.
While facing charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing police, resisting arrest, and misdemeanor stalking, Pearce has the opportunity to have the charges dropped by complying with a pretrial intervention program that mandates random drug testing, maintaining distance from Jackson, and staying clear of legal issues for a year.
Although the suspension will commence on August 30, Pearce remains eligible to participate in preseason matches and team activities until then. He can potentially return to action on November 2, after the Falcons’ Week 8 clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just before their encounter with the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain.
The Falcons’ defensive lineup has been affected following Jalon Walker’s season-ending ACL injury. The remaining players in the group include Christian Harris, JD Bertrand, Samson Ebukam, Kendal Daniels, Bralen Trice, and the newly added Cameron Sample.
Pearce, who was selected by Atlanta after a trade in the 2025 draft, significantly contributed to the team’s pass rush, leading with 10 1/2 sacks during his rookie campaign. Alongside Pearce, the NFL also penalized Dorance Armstrong, Nazeeh Johnson, and Phidarian Mathis on Friday for various policy violations. Armstrong, a Commanders edge rusher, received a one-game suspension for his conduct violation, causing him to miss the season opener against Philadelphia.
Johnson was handed a six-game suspension for breaching the performance-enhancers policy, while Mathis was issued a three-game suspension for violating substance abuse regulations. Both players are permitted to practice and compete with their teams until August 30, after which the teams must finalize their 53-player rosters.
Johnson is set to return for the Titans’ game against Cleveland on October 25, while Mathis can rejoin Buffalo for their match against New England on October 4. Johnson, with three seasons of NFL experience, previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Titans in July. Mathis, on the other hand, had stints with Washington and the Bills, appearing in a total of 29 NFL games.