Falcons release statement on James Pearce Jr. incident

Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. was arrested Saturday in Florida on charges of aggravated battery, aggravated stalking and fleeing/eluding police, according to a report from NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

The team released an official statement following the incident on Saturday evening:

“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.” -- Atlanta Falcons team statement

The Falcons are obviously going to gather all of the information they can, but the initial report is worrisome. We'll have to wait and see what Pearce is ultimately charged with, however, he may also be looking at punishment from the NFL depending how this situation plays out.

Pearce, a finalist for the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award, just appeared at the NFL Honors ceremony last week as along with Falcons rookie Xavier Watts, but they lost out to Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger.

Atlanta traded away a 2026 first-round pick to acquire Pearce during the 2025 NFL Draft, and even though the rookie had a productive year, the team missed the playoffs and general manager Terry Fontenot was fired after the season.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons release statement on James Pearce Jr. incident