Atlanta Falcons’ defensive player, James Pearce Jr., has received an eight-game suspension for breaching the NFL’s personal conduct regulations, as reported by the league on Friday. Pearce’s suspension stems from an incident in February involving a domestic altercation with his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson, in Doral, Fla. The charges against Pearce, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor stalking, may be dismissed if he complies with a pretrial intervention program that mandates drug testing, maintaining distance from Jackson, and avoiding legal issues for one year.
While Pearce is permitted to participate in pre-season activities and games until August 30, his suspension will commence on that date. He is eligible for reinstatement on November 2, following the Atlanta Falcons’ Week 8 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just before their matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain.
The Falcons’ defense has been impacted by the loss of Jalon Walker due to injury, leaving a core group comprising Christian Harris, JD Bertrand, Samson Ebukam, Kendal Daniels, Bralen Trice, and newly added Cameron Sample. Pearce, who was drafted by Atlanta in the first round of the 2025 draft after a trade to the No. 26 pick, made a significant impact in his rookie season, leading the team with 10 1/2 sacks.
In addition to Pearce, the NFL announced suspensions for three other players – Dorance Armstrong of the Commanders, Nazeeh Johnson of the Tennessee Titans, and Phidarian Mathis of the Buffalo Bills. Armstrong is suspended for one game for violating personal conduct rules, while Johnson faces a six-game suspension for a performance-enhancing substances violation, and Mathis will serve a three-game suspension for breaching the league’s substances of abuse policy.
Both Johnson and Mathis are permitted to continue practicing and playing with their teams until August 30, the deadline for NFL teams to finalize their 53-player rosters. Johnson is set to return for the Titans’ game against Cleveland on October 25, while Mathis can rejoin the Bills for their match against New England on October 4.
Johnson, who joined the Titans in July, previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs, with limited game time due to injuries. Mathis, on the other hand, has experience with the Bills and Washington, playing in a combined total of 29 NFL games.