ATLANTA, GEORGIA- AUGUST 15: James Pearce Jr. #27 of the Atlanta Falcons looks on during a NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Tennessee Titans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesJeanna KelleySun, February 8, 2026 at 3:11 AM UTC·2 min readIn deeply disappointing news, Falcons EDGE James Pearce Jr. was arrested on Saturday on domestic violence-related charges. The list of charges is lengthy.
Pearce is charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon (domestic violence), one count of aggravated stalking (domestic violence), one count of aggravated battery of a police officer, one count of fleeing or eluding police with lights and sirens on, and one count of resisting arrest without violence toward an officer.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere is video of the arrest. It looks like damn near every officer in Doral, Fla. came out to assist. Pearce’s bond has not yet been set.
Andy Slater reported that law enforcement sources confirmed Pearce had intentionally crashed his Lamborghini into his girlfriend’s car multiple times to prevent her from going to a police station. That incident led to the police chase and Pearce’s accident, and subsequently his arrest.
According to Doral police chief Edwin Lopez, who confirmed the detail to Local 10 News, the other involved party is LA Sparks forward Rickea Jackson. No details have been released about her condition. Bond for Pearce has not yet been set, and other details are scarce at this time.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere were some vague questions about Pearce’s maturity during the draft process, but it seemed more like a tendency to prioritize his own stats and take occasional plays off. These allegations are an entirely different ball of wax.
The NFL imposes a minimum six-game suspension for violence against women and children, but given the gravity of these charges, Pearce should maybe be more worried about jail time than a suspension if convicted. The NFL does not typically impose any discipline until the legal process plays out fully in court.
Pearce was a finalist for the 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year award, which went to the Browns’ Carson Schwesinger. He had 10.5 sacks as a rookie. The Falcons released a short statement on Saturday night that read: “We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr., in Miami. We are in the process of gathering more information and will not have any further comment on an open legal matter at this time.”
We’ll update this story as more details become available.
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