Atlanta Falcons rookie James Pearce Jr. was arrested near Miami after fleeing police and crashing his car following an alleged domestic dispute with WNBA player Rickea Jackson, authorities said.
Pearce, a first-round pick who led the Falcons in sacks and finished third in NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. According to jail records, he faces charges of two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking, and fleeing or eluding police using lights or siren. Bond has not been set on all charges.
The Falcons issued a brief statement: “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.”
Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez confirmed the dispute involved Pearce and Jackson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Jackson played 38 games in 2025 for the Los Angeles Sparks, averaging 14.7 points per game. She previously played for University of Tennessee and Mississippi State University.
Pearce, an edge rusher from Tennessee, was selected No. 26 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, he recorded 10.5 sacks, 45 quarterback pressures (a Falcons rookie record), 26 tackles, 16 quarterback hits, and forced and recovered one fumble each across all 17 games.
Following an 8-9 season, the Falcons replaced head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot with coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Ian Cunningham.
