Player News
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The NFL suspended Pearce eight games Friday for violating the league's personal conduct policy, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Pearce was arrested in February following a domestic dispute in Florida. With Pearce now set to miss essentially half the regular season and Jalon Walker done for 2026 with a torn ACL, the Falcons are in a dire situation at edge rusher. Veterans Azeez Ojulari and Samson Ebukam are next up at the position. Per Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com, ahead of the regular season, Pearce, who isn't appealing his suspension, is eligible to participate in all preseason activities, including games. He will be eligible for reinstatement Nov. 2.
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Pearce was present for his physical Monday prior to the Falcons' mandatory minicamp, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The report notes that Pearce has entered a diversion program to resolve to his legal matter stemming from a Feb. 7 incident which included being charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy indicated to ESPN on Monday that Pearce's situation "remains under review of the (league's) personal conduct policy." As a rookie last year, Pearce -- who is on track to take the field during this week's minicamp -- recorded 26 tackles, including 10.5 sacks, in 17 regular-season games.
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Pearce was arrested in Florida on Saturday on two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and a count of aggravated stalking, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports. Pearce was also charged with fleeing and eluding police officers, aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer without violence to his person before being booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Given the nature of his changes, Pearce is expected to face discipline from the NFL, though the league will likely wait to make any such determination until more information emerges and the legal process plays out. Shortly after Pearce's arrest, the Falcons acknowledged in a statement that they are aware of the incident and are in the process of gathering more information on the matter, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The No. 26 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, Pearce finished third in NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting after tallying 26 tackles, 10.5 sacks, five pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery while playing in all 17 games during his first season in the league.
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Pearce tallied 26 total tackles (17 solo), including 10.5 sacks, five passes defensed and one forced fumble over 17 regular-season games in 2025. Pearce, a 2025 first-round pick from Tennessee, was one of the NFL's premier pass rushers during his rookie campaign, leading all rookies with 10.5 sacks and tying for the 12th most in the league. The 22-year-old made a significant impact on Atlanta's defense, helping the Falcons finish with the second-most sacks in the NFL (57.0) after ranking 24th in the same category last season. Pearce is expected to line up opposite fellow 2025 first-round pick Jalon Walker in 2026, forming one of league's most promising pass-rush duos.
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Pearce (neck) is listed as limited on Thursday's estimated practice report, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports. Atlanta didn't officially hold an on-field practice Thursday, but Pearce's status will nonetheless need to be monitored leading up to Monday's game against the Rams. The rookie first-round pick will have two more opportunities to prove he's able to handle full practice reps prior to being assigned a potential injury designation for Monday Night Football.
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Completed Games
| WK | OPP | TK | SACK | INT | FF | DFR | DFTD | PDEF | FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TB | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | @MIN | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 |
| 3 | @CAR | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | WAS | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | BYE | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 6 | BUF | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | @SF | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | MIA | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | @NE | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | @IND | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | CAR | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | @NO | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 |
| 13 | @NYJ | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | SEA | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | @TB | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 16 | @ARI | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.5 |
| 17 | LAR | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | NO | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Scheduled Games
| WK | DATE | OPP | OPP RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 09/13 | @Pittsburgh | 4 |
| 2 | 09/20 | Carolina | 28 |
| 3 | 09/24 | @Green Bay | 27 |
| 4 | 10/05 | @New Orleans | 7 |
| 5 | 10/11 | Baltimore | 14 |
| 6 | 10/18 | Chicago | 16 |
| 7 | 10/25 | San Francisco | 22 |
| 8 | 11/01 | @Tampa Bay | 32 |
| 9 | 11/08 | Cincinnati | 26 |
| 10 | 11/15 | Kansas City | 18 |
| 11 | BYE | - | - |
| 12 | 11/29 | @Minnesota | 5 |
| 13 | 12/06 | Detroit | 3 |
| 14 | 12/13 | @Cleveland | 9 |
| 15 | 12/20 | @Washington | 2 |
| 16 | 12/26 | Tampa Bay | 32 |
| 17 | 01/03 | New Orleans | 7 |
| 18 | 01/10 | @Carolina | 28 |