Pearce Suspended Eight Games | Atlanta Falcons News

Falcons pass rusher James Pearce Jr. is suspended for the first eight games of the 2026 season after violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy — but he can still play in preseason and train with the team. The suspension starts August 30, just as rosters shrink to 53, and he’ll return November 2, right before the Falcons’ trip to Madrid for a game against the Bengals. Despite missing key early matchups, Pearce had an impressive rookie year, leading Atlanta with 10.5 sacks — earned after the team traded up to select him 26th overall in the 2025 draft. Preseason kicks off Friday vs. Denver at 7 PM ET. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f5ebf09e544f6f42