Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski addressed James Pearce Jr.’s eight-game suspension this week, making clear the team intends to fall in line with the NFL’s ruling while its second-year pass rusher stayed out of the spotlight.
Pearce was suspended eight games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, stemming from his arrest in February. With the discipline now official, Stefanski is left to manage both the message and the roster fallout.
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Kevin Stefanski Addresses James Pearce Jr.’s Eight-Game Suspension
Stefanski kept his comments measured and pointed toward cooperation with the league.
“I’m very comfortable with us sticking to the process, including what the league is doing in this case,” Stefanski said, per ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. “We’ll make sure we’re in total compliance with everything.”
He said much of the same when the suspension initially came down.
“Not going to comment on the length of the suspension or those types of things. We trust the process that is in place,” Stefanski said. “James continues to do everything in his power to be a great teammate and work very hard on himself in the building and outside the building.”
The Falcons weren’t caught off guard. Stefanski said the team had braced for a ban and prepared accordingly.
“We were anticipating a suspension, so we’ve been pretty intentional about how we’ve planned for it,” he said.
James Pearce Jr. Declines to Speak as Falcons Brace for His Absence
Pearce himself stayed quiet. He was requested to speak to reporters but declined to address the media, according to Raimondi.
The 22-year-old is still allowed to play in the preseason, and he recorded two tackles in Friday’s opener before his suspension officially begins Aug. 30. He’ll be eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 2, in time to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid the following week.
The suspension traces back to Pearce’s Feb. 7 arrest in Doral, Florida, after a domestic dispute involving his ex-girlfriend, WNBA forward Rickea Jackson. Pearce entered a diversion program that could ultimately wipe out the felony charges. His attorney has said he maintains his innocence.
As for the NFL, they can issue discipline under its personal conduct policy without a criminal conviction.
On the field, the timing couldn’t be worse. Pearce led the Falcons with 10.5 sacks as a rookie, and Atlanta is already set to play the entire season without fellow 2025 first-round edge rusher Jalon Walker, who tore his ACL earlier this month. Losing both leaves a major hole in the pass rush.
Stefanski, though, insisted the Falcons have the pieces to get by.
“We trust we have the guys to step up,” he said, pointing to a group that includes offseason additions Azeez Ojulari and Samson Ebukam along with returning contributor Brandon Dorlus.
For now, the Falcons are staying the course.
Pearce will keep working and playing in the preseason before stepping away at the end of the month. The rest, both the legal matter and the games Atlanta must survive without him, will play out from there.
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