Atlanta Falcons’ James Pearce Jr., an edge rusher, has been handed an eight-game suspension for breaching the league’s personal conduct regulations, the NFL disclosed on Friday. The suspension comes in the wake of Pearce’s arrest in February following an altercation with his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson, in Doral, Fla. Pearce faces charges including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, evading police, resisting arrest, and misdemeanor stalking. These charges may be dropped if Pearce complies with a pretrial intervention program that includes random drug testing, maintaining distance from Jackson, and steering clear of legal issues for a year.
The suspension will commence on Aug. 30, following the pre-season games and team activities in which Pearce can participate. He will be eligible for reinstatement on Monday, Nov. 2, after the Falcons’ Week 8 match against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the team set to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain, the subsequent week.
The Falcons’ defensive line has encountered setbacks, notably with Jalon Walker suffering a season-ending ACL injury. The team now relies on Christian Harris, JD Bertrand, Samson Ebukam, Kendal Daniels, Bralen Trice, and the recently added Cameron Sample post-Walker’s injury. Pearce, selected by Atlanta after a trade to the No. 26 pick in the 2025 draft, made a significant impact during his rookie season, leading the team with 10 1/2 sacks.
In addition to Pearce, the NFL handed out suspensions to three other players on the same day. Commanders’ Dorance Armstrong received a one-game suspension for breaching the league’s personal conduct policy, leading to his absence in the season opener against Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Titans’ Nazeeh Johnson was slapped with a six-game suspension for violating performance-enhancing substances policy, and Bills’ Phidarian Mathis received a three-game suspension for contravening the substances of abuse policy.
All suspended players are permitted to practice and compete with their teams until Aug. 30. Johnson can make a comeback in the Titans’ home game against Cleveland on Oct. 25, while Mathis is set to return for Buffalo’s home game against New England on Oct. 4.
Johnson, with three prior NFL seasons, was with the Kansas City Chiefs before signing with the Titans just before the training camp commenced. Mathis, 28 years old, had six appearances with the Bills last season after featuring in 23 games with Washington in his initial three NFL seasons.