Falcons’ Pearce in jail after alleged dispute with WNBA player

Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. remains in jail Sunday on five felony charges following what police said was a domestic dispute with WNBA player Rickea Jackson.

Pearce, who finished third in AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting at NFL Honors on Thursday, was arrested Saturday in Miami-Dade County on two felony counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and a felony count of aggravated stalking. Other charges include fleeing and eluding police officers and aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer — also felonies — and a misdemeanor count of resisting an officer without violence to his person.

Pearce remains incarcerated in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $20,500 bond, and the case was assigned to the felony domestic crimes intake unit. He was also given a pre-trial conditional stay-away order with regards to Jackson, who is a forward with the Los Angeles Sparks.

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Doral police chief Edwin Lopez told WPLG-TV on Saturday that Pearce was arrested after fleeing the alleged dispute and then crashing his vehicle during a police chase.

The Falcons, who issued a statement saying they were “gathering more information” on the incident, are under new leadership with head coach Kevin Stefanski, general manager Ian Cunningham and president of football Matt Ryan. They now face an offseason made more difficult by Pearce’s arrest and legal situation.

Pearce set a Falcons rookie record with a team-leading 10 1/2 sacks.

Atlanta traded its 2026 first-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Rams to select Pearce last year with the No. 26 overall pick. It was an especially notable investment after the Falcons drafted edge rusher Jalon Walker at No. 15 last year, essentially doubling down on the team’s commitment to improve their pass rush by selecting Pearce.

At the time, there were questions about Pearce’s character and commitment to football caused him to drop in the draft. He had been mentioned as Atlanta’s possible choice at the No. 15 spot used to select Walker. Instead, he was still available late in the first round.

Then-general manager Terry Fontenot, when asked about the off-field questions surrounding Pearce, said the team was “about as thorough and detailed as you can possibly be” when doing their research on him, including talking with “everybody that’s surrounded with him.”

Led by Pearce, the Falcons (8-9) set a team record with 57 sacks, one year after finishing next to last in the league with 31.

ESPN’s Marc Raimondi and The Associated Press contributed to this report.