Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. has received an eight-game suspension for breaching the NFL’s personal conduct policy in the upcoming 2026 season, the league announced on Friday. The suspension follows Pearce’s arrest in February after a domestic incident involving his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson, in Doral, Florida.
To potentially have his charges dropped, Pearce must comply with a pretrial intervention program that includes random drug testing, maintaining distance from Jackson, and staying clear of legal issues for a year. He will be allowed to participate in pre-season games and team activities until the suspension begins on August 30.
Pearce is set to be reinstated on November 2 after the Falcons’ Week 8 match against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Subsequently, the team will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain. The Falcons’ defense has been impacted by the loss of Jalon Walker due to an ACL injury, leaving a group of players including Christian Harris, JD Bertrand, Samson Ebukam, Kendal Daniels, and Bralen Trice, with Cameron Sample being added post-Walker’s injury.
In addition to Pearce, the NFL handed out suspensions to three other players on the same day. Dorance Armstrong of the Commanders received a one-game suspension, while Nazeeh Johnson of the Titans and Phidarian Mathis of the Bills were suspended for six and three games, respectively, for various violations of league policies.
Armstrong, who is in his ninth NFL season and third with Washington, will miss the Commanders’ season-opening game against Philadelphia. Johnson and Mathis are eligible to return for their respective teams’ games on October 25 and October 4. Johnson, previously with the Kansas City Chiefs, joined the Titans in July, while Mathis played with Washington before appearing in six games for the Bills last season.
