Updated Feb. 9, 2026, 8:56 p.m. ET
Atlanta Falcons rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. was arrested over the weekend and is facing five felony counts stemming from an incident with his ex-girlfriend. The details were initially slow to come out, but ESPN’s Marc Raimondi provided an update on Monday morning.
“James Pearce Jr. allegedly crashed his vehicle into one being driven by WNBA player Rickea Jackson multiple times and struck a police officer with the vehicle while evading arrest, according to the criminal complaint obtained by ESPN,” wrote Raimondi.
Pearce’s legal team has released a statement following the arrest. The rookie is maintaining his innocence and looks forward to the full story being revealed. Read the statement from Pearce Jr.’s legal team of Jacob Nunez, Yale Sanford and Joshua Cohen below.
James Pearce’s lawyers release statement:
“We look forward to working with the State Attorney’s Office in fully investigating this case and uncovering the truth. Mr. Pearce maintains his innocence and urges the public to understand that while allegations have the power to shape a narrative, that it is hardly the full, complete story. We look forward to vigorously defending our Client and remain confident that he will continue contributing positively to both his team and the community he serves so well.”
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The Falcons released a statement of their own following Pearce’s arrest on Saturday night but said they would wait until all of the facts come out before discussing the matter any further.
Falcons put out statement on Pearce situation:
“We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr., in Miami. We are in the process of gathering more information and will not have any further comment on an open legal matter at this time.”
We’ll have to wait and see how Falcons president of football Matt Ryan, general manager Ian Cunningham and the rest of Atlanta’s front office handles this Pearce situation going forward. Check back soon for more updates.
