Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker James Pearce Jr. has been released after posting $20,500 in bond on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. Pearce was arrested Saturday in Miami-Dade County (Fla.) following an alleged domestic dispute with WNBA player Rickea Jackson and is facing five felony charges and one misdemeanor.
Pearce was arrested following brief a police chase and charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding police officers, one count of aggravated stalking and resisting an officer without violence. Along with his bond, Pearce was given a pre-trial conditional stay-away order preventing contact with Jackson, a forward with the Los Angeles Sparks.
According to Miami-area reporter Andy Slater, Pearce was allegeding stalking Jackson, his ex-girlfriend, and attempted to enter her vehicle at an intersection, but Jackson sped away from him. Pearce reportedly pursued Jackson and allegedly crashed his car into hers twice in an attempt to keep her from contacting police. Slater also reported Pearce “intentionally” drove his vehicle in a police officer, allegedly hit the officer’s knee before he was eventually coaxed out of the car with guns drawn.
“SLATER SCOOP: Pearce Jr. also intentionally drove into a police officer, hitting the cop’s knee in an effort to get away, I’m told,” Slater said via X. “The Atlanta Falcons linebacker is ‘lucky to be alive’ after that, a high-ranking police source tells me.”
The Atlanta Falcons selected Pearce with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Pearce made 17 appearances and three starts for the Falcons this past season.
He recorded 26 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hits and a fumble recovery. He received the third most votes for the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.
“We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr., in Miami,” the Falcons said in a prepared statement released Saturday. “We are in the process of gathering more information and will not have any further comment on an open legal matter at this time.”
Before joining the NFL ranks, Pearce played three seasons at Tennessee. He made an immediate impact for the Volunteers as a true freshman. In total, Pearce amassed 39 appearances and 12 starts at Tennessee.
He tallied 71 career tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks and an interception. For his efforts, he was named an All-SEC First-Team selection twice and was a 2024 Lombardi Award semifinalist. In 2025, Pearce signed a 4-year, $16.78 million fully guaranteed rookie contract.