Atlanta Falcons’ linebacker James Pearce Jr. has been handed an eight-game suspension for the 2026 season by the NFL due to a breach of the league’s personal conduct regulations, as announced on Friday. The suspension stems from Pearce’s arrest in February after a domestic altercation with his former girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson, in Doral, Florida.
Pearce faces charges including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, evading the police, resisting arrest, and misdemeanor stalking. However, these charges may be dismissed if he complies with a pretrial intervention program that involves random drug screenings, maintaining distance from Jackson, and staying clear of legal issues for a year.
The suspension will commence on August 30, following which Pearce will be allowed to participate in pre-season games and team activities. He will be eligible for reinstatement on November 2, post the Falcons’ Week 8 away game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just before their clash with the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain.
The Atlanta Falcons’ defensive lineup has faced setbacks with Jalon Walker’s season-ending ACL injury. The team now relies on Christian Harris, JD Bertrand, Samson Ebukam, Kendal Daniels, and Bralen Trice, with the recent addition of Cameron Sample post-Walker’s injury.
Apart from Pearce, the NFL issued suspensions to three other players on the same day. Dorance Armstrong of the Commanders received a one-game suspension for violating the personal conduct policy, while Tennessee Titans’ safety Nazeeh Johnson faced a six-game suspension for violating the performance-enhancers policy. Buffalo Bills’ defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis was suspended for three games due to a substances of abuse policy violation.
Johnson, with three NFL seasons under his belt, had been with the Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Titans in July. Mathis, on the other hand, had played 23 games for Washington before his six-game stint with the Bills last season.
The affected players are allowed to practice and play with their respective teams until August 30, the deadline for finalizing the 53-player rosters. Johnson can return for the Titans’ game against Cleveland on October 25, while Mathis is set to make a comeback in Buffalo’s match against New England on October 4.