Atlanta Falcons’ James Pearce Jr., a key edge rusher, will face an eight-game suspension at the start of the 2026 season for breaching the NFL’s personal conduct regulations, as disclosed by the league on Friday. Pearce’s arrest in February, stemming from a domestic altercation with his former girlfriend and WNBA athlete Rickea Jackson in Doral, Fla., led to charges including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, evading law enforcement, resisting arrest, and misdemeanor stalking. These charges may be dropped if Pearce complies with a pretrial intervention program involving random drug screenings, maintaining distance from Jackson, and staying clear of legal issues for a year.
Until his suspension commences on Aug. 30, Pearce remains eligible to partake in pre-season games and team activities. Reinstatement for the second-year defensive end is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 2, following the Falcons’ Week 8 clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, preceding their matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain. The Falcons’ pass rush has been impacted by Jalon Walker’s season-ending ACL injury, leaving a group comprising Christian Harris, JD Bertrand, Samson Ebukam, Kendal Daniels, and Bralen Trice, with the addition of Cameron Sample post-Walker’s injury.
In a series of suspensions issued by the NFL on Friday, Pearce was among four players penalized. Dorance Armstrong of the Commanders received a one-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, causing him to miss the season opener against Philadelphia on Sept. 13. Armstrong, entering his ninth NFL season and third with Washington, faced limitations last season due to a knee ligament tear after playing only seven games.
Additionally, Titans’ safety Nazeeh Johnson faced a six-game suspension for violating performance-enhancing substances policies, while Buffalo Bills’ defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis received a three-game suspension for contravening substance abuse policies. Both players have the liberty to practice and compete with their teams until Aug. 30, the deadline for NFL teams to finalize their 53-player rosters. Johnson can return for the Titans’ game against Cleveland on Oct. 25, whereas Mathis may resume for Buffalo’s match against New England on Oct. 4.
Johnson, with three previous NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, joined the Titans on July 27, just before the launch of training camp. His tenure with the Chiefs saw six starts in 29 games, with a shoulder injury limiting his appearances last season to just two games and a missed 2023 season due to a torn ACL. Mathis, aged 28, played six games for the Bills last season after featuring in 23 games for Washington in his initial three NFL seasons.