Per Josh Kendall of The Athletic, the Falcons don’t appear to be planning on having DE James Pearce Jr. early in the season, as he has mostly worked with the third team thus far during camp.
Kendall says he’s “worried many Falcons fans aren’t prepared for the length of suspension” for Pearce after being charged with aggravated battery and fleeing law enforcement on February 7th.
Kendall expects the suspension to be announced before roster cutdowns, but he thinks Pearce’s suspension will be for at least eight games, if not more, based on previous rulings on similar situations.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler echoed this sentiment, saying Atlanta is bracing for a suspension and notes they have been looking for pass rushing help this offseason. It’s worth noting OLB Jalon Walker suffered a torn ACL in camp as well.
Pearce, 22, was a two-year starter at Tennessee and was a two-time, first-team All-SEC selection. He declared for the 2025 NFL Draft after his junior season.
The Falcons used the No. 26 overall pick in round one on Pearce. He’s projected to sign Pearce to a four-year, $16,756,186 contract that includes a $8,826,316 signing bonus. The contract includes a fifth-year option for the team to pick up in 2028.
In 2025 Pearce appeared in all 17 games for the Falcons and recorded 27 tackles, a forced fumble, 10.5 sacks and five pass defenses.
We’ll have more on Pearce as the news is available.
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