The Falcons are preparing for the possibility that James Pearce Jr. won’t be around early in the season, and the signs out of camp point in that direction.
According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, Pearce has mostly been working with the third team during training camp, a strong hint that Atlanta is not expecting to lean on him right away. Kendall also said he’s “worried many Falcons fans aren’t prepared for the length of suspension” for Pearce after the February 7 charge of aggravated battery and fleeing law enforcement.
Kendall believes the suspension should be announced before roster cutdowns, and he expects it to land at least eight games, possibly more, based on previous rulings in similar cases.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler backed up that read, saying Atlanta is bracing for a suspension and has been searching for pass-rushing help this offseason. That need has only grown with OLB Jalon Walker suffering a torn ACL in camp.
Pearce, 22, arrived in the NFL after a strong run at Tennessee, where he was a two-year starter and a two-time first-team All-SEC selection. He declared for the 2025 NFL Draft after his junior season, and the Falcons took him with the No. 26 overall pick in the first round.
He is projected to sign a four-year, $16,756,186 contract with an $8,826,316 signing bonus, plus a fifth-year option for Atlanta to exercise in 2028.
In 2025, Pearce appeared in all 17 games for the Falcons and posted 27 tackles, a forced fumble, 10.5 sacks and five pass defenses.
In Other News...
Michael Penix Jr. Is Already Forcing A Tough Falcons Decision
Michael Penix Jr. is already at the center of one of the Falcons biggest offseason questions, and it has less to do with upside than availability. Atlanta is sorting through its quarterback options under a new coaching staff, while fans remain split on what Penix can become and how quickly he can be trusted to lead the offense. The comparisons to other first-round quarterbacks from the 2024 draft only sharpen the scrutiny, because the Falcons are not just weighing talent here - they are weighing timelines.
The health piece makes the decision even murkier, and it helps explain why the organization has been forced to keep its options open. Penixs performance has given Atlanta enough reason to believe in the long view, but the uncertainty around his readiness has created a real test for the teams planning and patience. For a franchise trying to settle its future under a fresh regime, the quarterback conversation is already becoming a referendum on how much risk it can afford to take. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Needed This Divine Deablo Injury Update More Than Ever
The Falcons had a scare at practice when linebacker Divine Deablo went down after an apparent ankle injury and had to stop scrimmaging. It was the kind of moment that can tighten a training camp sideline fast, especially for a defense that needs to keep building chemistry and getting a feel for how its new pieces fit together.
Kevin Stefanski later said Deablo was rolled up on, and the early concern eased once imaging and testing were done. Hell miss the next practice as a precaution, but the expectation is that this is not a long-term issue, which is about as good a result as Atlanta could have hoped for after the initial injury. [Read more 🡒]