The Atlanta Falcons are facing a serious off-the-field situation involving one of their most promising young players. Rookie linebacker James Pearce Jr., who just wrapped up a standout debut season, was arrested Saturday evening in Miami-Dade County, Florida, following a disturbing incident involving his ex-girlfriend, Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson.
According to reports, Pearce allegedly rammed his vehicle into Jackson’s car in an attempt to stop her from going to a police station. The situation escalated quickly from there.
Authorities say Pearce struck a police officer with his vehicle-reportedly hitting the officer’s knee-before fleeing the scene and leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase. At one point, an officer even drew a firearm on Pearce before he was ultimately taken into custody.
The charges are serious and wide-ranging: aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault, fleeing police, aggravated battery of an officer, and resisting an officer without violence.
In the wake of the arrest, a video of Pearce’s mother, Kizzy Morris, speaking about her son at the NFL Honors has resurfaced-and gone viral for all the wrong reasons. In the clip, Morris praised her son’s character, calling him resilient and full of love for family and friends.
“James has a heart of gold, deep love for family and friends, and a true resilience in the face of doubt,” she said. “Junior…you have so much success ahead of you.
I love you, son.” The video, which was recorded just days before the arrest, is now being widely shared online as fans and observers react to the contrast between the public praise and the troubling allegations.
On the field, Pearce had been one of the brightest spots in Atlanta’s 2025 campaign. The Falcons traded up with the Los Angeles Rams to take him at No. 26 overall in last year’s draft, and he quickly validated that investment. Pearce led all rookies with 10.5 sacks-nearly doubling the total of his teammate and fellow first-rounder Jalon Walker, who notched 5.5.
Pearce’s performance earned him third place in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting with 173 points, trailing only Seattle safety Nick Emmanwori (199 points) and Cleveland linebacker Carson Schwesinger (244 points), who took home the award.
In response to the arrest, the Falcons released a brief statement, saying: “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.”
For Atlanta, the focus now shifts from development on the field to damage control off of it. Pearce was expected to be a key piece of the Falcons’ defensive rebuild, a young edge rusher with elite upside and a motor that never stopped. Now, his future with the team-and in the league-is very much in question.
This is a developing story, and the legal process will ultimately determine the outcome. But as of now, what was shaping up to be a breakout career has taken a sudden and troubling detour.