American Football
James Pearce Jr. suspended eight games following domestic violence arrest
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James Pearce Jr. has been given an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, per ESPN.
Pearce was arrested back in February after a domestic violence incident with his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player, Rickea Jackson.
Pearce's arrest in February
Pearce's arrest came after he allegedly stalked Jackson and then caused a collision after following her in a car.
The Falcons DE was charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, plus aggravated stalking, fleeing or eluding police with lights or siren, aggravated battery involving a law enforcement officer, and resisting an officer without violence to his person.
Reportedly, Pearce fled from the police by car, which led to a chase and subsequently a crash; then Pearce allegedly fled on foot before he was arrested.
Pearce was then told some of the charges could be dropped if he completed a pre-trial intervention, which, by the time the NFL was "closely monitoring the situation".
Following his arrest, the DE missed OTAs with the Falcons, but was allowed to attend training camp.
Pearce can play in the NFL preseason
The team announced on Friday that Pearce, despite the suspension, is available to participate in all preseason activities, including games.
The 22-year-old's suspension will take effect in Week 1, when the Falcons face the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and he will be able to play in Week 9 when Atlanta faces the Bengals in Madrid.
Pearce was selected No. 15 overall in the 2025 Draft and was a finalist for AP NFL Defensive Rookie Player of the Year after recording 10.5 sacks and 26 combined tackles in the regular season.
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