Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. remained behind bars on Sunday after being charged with multiple felonies stemming from an alleged domestic dispute involving WNBA player Rickea Jackson, according to police.
Pearce, who placed third in the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting at Thursday’s NFL Honors, was arrested Saturday in Miami-Dade County. Authorities charged him with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, aggravated battery on a police officer, and one misdemeanor count of resisting an officer without violence.
He is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $20,500 bond, and the case has been assigned to the felony domestic crimes intake unit. A judge also issued a pretrial stay-away order barring contact with Jackson, a forward for the Los Angeles Sparks.
Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez told WPLG-TV that Pearce fled the scene of the alleged incident and was later arrested after crashing his vehicle during a police pursuit.
The Falcons acknowledged the situation in a brief statement, saying the organization is “gathering more information.” The arrest presents an early challenge for Atlanta’s new leadership group, which includes head coach Kevin Stefanski, general manager Ian Cunningham, and president of football operations Matt Ryan.
Pearce was one of the team’s breakout players last season, setting a Falcons rookie record with 10.5 sacks and leading the team in that category. Atlanta selected him with the 26th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after trading its 2026 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams.
His selection was notable given earlier concerns about his off-field behavior, which contributed to his slide in the draft. Former general manager Terry Fontenot previously said the team conducted extensive background research before drafting Pearce, speaking with numerous people close to him.
Anchored by Pearce’s production, the Falcons finished 8–9 and set a franchise record with 57 sacks, a dramatic improvement from the previous season when they ranked near the bottom of the league.
