The Atlanta Falcons have struggled with the James Pearce Jr. situation. But they’ve added some help at his position. Still, Pearce isn’t expected at offseason workouts after his arrest, according to a post on X by Ian Rapoport.
“Edge James Pearce Jr. is not expected to be in attendance for team’s voluntary offseason program when it begins tomorrow, sources say. No surprise, as Pearce works through his legal issues. He is charged with three felonies, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.”
It could be an uphill climb for Pearce. Getting back to team activities is a challenge. That’s because of the seriousness of the charges.
What are the Falcons doing about edge rusher position?
It’s not an easy thing to lose Pearce, assuming he won’t be able to get back on the field. His 10.5 sacks were the most by a rookie since Micah Parsons had 13 in 2021 with the Cowboys, according to atlantafalcons.com.
“He had six straight games with at least one sack, which tied for the second-longest streak by any NFL rookie since sacks were officially recorded in 1982,” Will McFadden wrote.
But the group was good overall, too.
“Collectively, Atlanta’s edge defenders had the 10th-best pressure rate among all NFL edge groups, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, generating pressure on 13.5% of their pass rush snaps,” McFadden wrote. “Per TruMedia, it took the Falcons’ edge defenders 4.5 seconds to record a sack on average, which was the third-fastest time in the league.”
The main thing the Falcons need to do is address the issue in the draft as if Pearce won’t return. They would then have depth if he does, or help if he doesn’t.
It doesn’t mean they need to use their first pick (No. 48 overall, in Round 2). But if there is a solid edge rusher at that point, they would at least have to consider it. Regardless, it’s a challenging situation as the Falcons try to stay playoff relevant in 2026.
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