Eight games, no appeal
The NFL has suspended James Pearce Jr. for eight games. The league announced the punishment on Friday under its personal conduct policy. The Atlanta Falcons pass rusher has waived his right to appeal, even though the collective bargaining agreement gave him that option.
The suspension begins on August 30. Pearce cannot be reinstated before November 2. And being eligible again does not mean an automatic spot back on the roster.
Until then, he can still play in preseason games and practise with the team up to the effective date.
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A Florida legal case
The punishment stems from a plea deal and Pearce entering a diversion programme. The incident dates back to February 7 in south Florida. According to the police report, the player used his car to stop his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson, from reporting their dispute to authorities.
Officers who arrived at the scene said Pearce chased Jackson by car, deliberately hit her vehicle, then left before they got there.
The deal includes six months of strict probation. Random drug tests, counselling and a ban on any contact with Jackson. If he breaches those terms, he faces fresh league discipline and a possible reinstatement of the original charges, which ranged from harassment to fleeing police.
Atlanta loses its top pass rusher
The timing is a blow for the Falcons. Taken in the first round of the 2025 draft, Pearce posted 10.5 sacks in 17 games last season. At 22, he had become the biggest threat in Atlanta’s defensive front.
The franchise now has to get through eight weeks without him. If Pearce is back on the roster on November 2, Atlanta will be preparing for Week 9 and a trip to Madrid to face the Cincinnati Bengals.
He will at least get preseason action before then, starting with the opener against Denver. A warm-up, if you can call it that, before three months on the sidelines.
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