On Saturday, Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker James Pearce Jr. was arrested in Florida after an alleged domestic dispute with Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson. ESPN’s Marc Raimondi provided further information on Pearce’s charges Sunday.
“James Pearce Jr. is facing five felonies, per court records,” Raimondi wrote on X. “He is currently being held in Miami-Dade County on $20,500 bond and assigned to the felony domestic crimes intake unit. Pearce was also given a pre-trial conditional stay-away order with regards to WNBA player Rickea Jackson.”
Specifically, Pearce was charged with charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and a count of aggravated stalking. Additionally, he was reportedly charged with fleeing and eluding police officers, aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer without violence to his person.
According to Andy Slater, Pearce was stalking Rickea Jackson, his ex-girlfriend, with his vehicle. He allegedly attempted to enter Jackson’s vehicle at an intersection, but Jackson sped away from him.
He allegedly continued to follow Jackson. Pearce reportedly crashed into Jackson to prevent her from reaching the police.
Slater further reported that Pearce “intentionally” drove into a police officer. Pearce allegedly hit the officer’s knee with his vehicle. Slater said the police officer had his gun drawn and Pearce was refusing commands.
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. “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.