Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker James Pearce Jr. was arrested on Saturday on several serious charges. He was booked on two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking, and fleeing from police.
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During the pursuit, Pearce Jr. also crashed his vehicle. Prior to that, authorities allege he intentionally struck his girlfriend’s vehicle, occupied by WNBA Los Angeles Sparks star Rickea Jackson, with his Lamborghini. That was his attempt to stop Jackson from reaching a police station following what appears to have been a domestic dispute between the two.
In a video of his arrest that later surfaced, Pearce Jr. was seen trying to fight his way free before six police officers pinned him to the ground and finally restrained and detained him. These are extremely serious allegations, and it is fair to assume Pearce Jr.’s life will change dramatically from this point forward. The situation is especially jarring considering Pearce Jr. was a DROY finalist and, just days earlier, he had been publicly praised for his character by his mother.
During the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday, Pearce Jr.’s mother, Kizzy Morris, spoke highly of her son, saying he has a big heart, treats his family and friends well, and possesses the poise to achieve great success in the NFL.
“I’m so proud of all my son that has accomplished. I’m even prouder of the man that he’s became,” she said, adding,
“James has a heart of gold, deep love for family and friends, and true resilience in the face of doubt… Junior, man, you have so much success ahead of you. I love you, son.”
Talk about poorly aged things.
James Pearce Jr.’s mom talking about his character during the NFL Honors a couple days ago aged liked MILK https://t.co/2GX40W76xL pic.twitter.com/TCfEB2Vrui
— NFL Memes (@NFLMemes) February 8, 2026
The Falcons have acknowledged the incident and are awaiting further details. Until then, they have declined to comment further on the ongoing case.
“We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr., in Miami,” the team said in a statement. “We are in the process of gathering more information and will not have any further comment on an open legal matter at this time.”
James Pearce Jr. and Rickea Jackson go way back, specifically to their time at the University of Tennessee from 2022 to 2024. Jackson all but confirmed she was dating the future NFL star during the 2025 draft when she sat next to him. However, reports suggest things went sour between the two and they eventually broke up.
Since the split, Pearce Jr. may have been trying to win her back, and some social media influencers covering the story believe that when the rookie linebacker failed in that attempt, he snapped, leading to the latest incident. By the way, this is the version of events currently circulating, but the more concerning possibility is that Pearce Jr. may have had similar outbursts in the past.
Notably, he was arrested in December 2023 after Knoxville, Tennessee police stopped him for driving 63 mph in a 35 mph zone with expired tags. The charges, which included speeding, driving on a suspended license, and failure to present insurance and registration, were later dropped following a court appearance.
