Falcons’ James Pearce Jr.’s Career in Jeopardy as WNBA Star Ex-Girlfriend Wants to Testify

WNBA star Rickea Jackson has put her basketball obligations to the side to fight against ex-boyfriend James Pearce Jr. in court.

Falcons’ James Pearce Jr.’s Career in Jeopardy as WNBA Star Ex-Girlfriend Wants to Testify

James Pearce Jr.'s career is in Rickea Jackson's hands (Image via SznPltts/Bri Lewerke/X)

In Short
  • James Pearce Jr. faces serious legal troubles after allegedly using his vehicle to assault his ex-girlfriend, WNBA star Rickea Jackson.
  • Jackson is willing to testify against Pearce Jr. in court, prioritizing her safety and withdrawing from upcoming competitions.
  • The Falcons may lose Pearce Jr.'s talent if he is convicted, as he could face a prison sentence of at least five years.

James Pearce Jr. was on course to become one of the better pass rushers in the NFL after the Atlanta Falcons rookie registered 10.5 sacks despite starting just three games.

Such talent is rare to find, as teams often go through multiple options before finding someone productive enough. Sometimes, they have to spend over the odds to get similar production.

With the 22-year-old on a team-friendly rookie deal up until the 2028 season, the Falcons could invest their cap space in other important additions. But now, that plan looks like it may not work out.

Over the weekend, the franchise was alerted by Miami-Dade police that their defensive star was in jail after seven officers had to pin him down just to put cuffs on him.

Pearce Jr. was evading them in his white Lamborghini SUV, hitting one officer in the knee, and then crashing at an intersection, and then proceeded to flee on foot. All of those crimes are enough to spend time behind bars.

But what has made it worse is that prior to his run-in with the law, he had dangerously used his vehicle as a weapon to try to assault his former girlfriend and WNBA star Rickea Jackson.

Even though he is out on bail after posting a $20,500 bond, his troubles will not go away, as ESPN’s Marc Raimondi received information that Jackson has informed the court that she is willing to testify against her former boyfriend.

In fact, she has prioritized her safety, as not only did she withdraw from Unrivaled’s 1v1 competition that started earlier, but she also seemingly gave up her spot in Team USA’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers. She has to stay in the country to be present at this trial.

New Falcons’ head coach Kevin Stefanski had no comment on James Pearce Jr.’s legal troubles

The situation is serious enough that a lot of reporters gathered at the Atlanta Falcons’ media facilities to get answers. However, new head coach Kevin Stefanski did not leave much to the imagination.

Falcons' dynamic rookie sack duo Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.
Falcons’ dynamic rookie sack duo Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. (Image via Falcons/X)

On the James Pearce situation, there is really nothing to add. I’ll defer, our coaches will defer to the statement that was put out. So, respectfully, I understand there are questions, but we don’t have much to add there.

Kevin Stefanski said

It is clear that he does not want to give his opinion on a player whom he has never coached. This season, Stefanski, after being dismissed from the Cleveland Browns, would have tried to gauge if the rookie was worth promoting him to be a starter.

Now, if Rickea Jackson testifies, and evidence from the police investigation makes it clear to the judge and the jury that James Pearce Jr. is guilty of all the charges, he would spend at least five years in prison. Then, the Falcons have to find someone else to take his place.

Scouts were wary of James Pearce Jr.’s character concerns before the draft

The Atlanta Falcons will be in a bit of a pickle if they lose out on James Pearce Jr.’s production. He could end up going to prison and would be there for quite some time.

It is not as if Rickea Jackson did something to instigate him, or he had a rare moment of madness. It seems scouts had concerns about him before the draft.

That kid is a first-round talent, but the stuff you hear (about his maturity) scares me.

A defensive line coach told The Athletic

Bruce Feldman recalled having conversations with other coaches, one of whom even questioned the Tennessee star’s coachability. All of these notions add to character concerns.

Even though some of his teammates were dismissive, they clarified that James Pearce Jr.’s disinterest in talking to the media was nothing more than him being locked in on football.

However, this domestic violence incident could reopen conversations about whether it is worth keeping him on, as right now, he has the mannerism of a ticking time bomb.

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