Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. is not expected to report for the start of Atlanta’s offseason program Tuesday following his February arrest in Florida, NFL Network reported.
Pearce, 22, is facing a potential league suspension in addition to multiple criminal charges including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking, fleeing and eluding police officers, and aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer.
Pearce was arrested on Feb. 7 in Doral, Fla., after allegedly crashing his vehicle into a car driven by his ex-girlfriend, WNBA forward Rickea Jackson. Jackson has accused Pearce of abuse on multiple other occasions and was granted a temporary protective order following his arrest.
Pearce’s trial date is set for May 4. His legal team released a statement after his arrest maintaining his innocence. A previous statement from the Falcons said the team is waiting until all of the facts come out before discussing the matter any further.
Pearce was selected by the Falcons in the first round (26th overall) of the 2025 draft. He finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting after recording 10.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, five passes defensed and 26 tackles in 17 games (three starts).
The Falcons enter offseason workouts with new head coach Kevin Stefanski, who retained defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
