Falcons Fans Get Brutal Suspension Rumor on James Pearce Jr.

The Atlanta Falcons have not heard anything official from the league, but they could lose James Pearce Jr. for more games than people think.

Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. shown on the field during Minicamp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons are bracing for a decision from the league office on the immediate future of James Pearce Jr., and Josh Kendall of The Athletic believes that it could be far more significant than some fans think. 

The team has not heard anything from the NFL, but there is a reasonable expectation that word could come down before rosters trim down at the end of the month. Guesses from most around the organization have hovered around six games, but Kendall thinks that number could grow as high as eight, or half the regular season. 

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler seems to agree with Kendall’s sentiment, saying there is still “uncertainty” regarding the 2026 position and that how the team deals with the edge position is “worth watching” this summer. One such update came earlier Monday, with the Falcons signing Cameron Sample and moving DeAngelo Malone to the reserve/PUP list. 

With Pearce’s unknown situation and the training camp injury to Jalon Walker that will cost him the season, the position remains in a worrying state. Both players saw late-season surges in 2025 that put them atop the rookie sack leaderboard, and both were expected to build on that success in 2026. 

Now, the Falcons are left scrambling for answers. 

The early returns from the summer appear to indicate that the Falcons do not expect to have Pearce in the early portions of the year. He rotated in with the starters on Saturday but has largely worked with the reserve units. 

That could also have something to do with his absence for most of the team’s offseason program, but time will tell. 

“He's doing a nice job, and I appreciate the work that he's putting into it,” Stefanski said Monday about continuing to work Pearce into the rotation. “We'll continue to roll guys in at all positions. We've had a lot of injuries now at the edge in particular. We're going to ask everybody to do a little bit more, but he's continuing to do everything we're asking him to do.”

As it has since Pearce was first arrested in February, this story will continue to evolve. In the meantime, the Falcons will continue preparing for Friday night’s preseason game with the Denver Broncos. Kickoff for that game is set for 7:00.

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