James Pearce Jr. suited up Friday night against the Denver Broncos in the Atlanta Falcons' preseason opener, just hours after the NFL announced that he would be suspended for the first eight games of the regular season.
The timing of the decision makes his presence in the preseason especially interesting because the Falcons can still get Pearce on the field before his suspension officially begins.
And based on the way Pearce has looked throughout training camp and his performance against Denver, Atlanta has every reason to be frustrated about how much time it will have to wait for him.
James Pearce Jr. was already showing signs of another step forward
The Falcons were counting on James Pearce Jr. to take their pass rush to the next level. Instead, they will have to wait until November to see Pearce return to the regular season lineup.
The NFL announced Friday that Pearce's suspension begins Aug. 30, and he will be eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 2 when they head to Madrid to face the Cincinnati Bengals. That means Atlanta can use him throughout the preseason before losing him for the first eight games.
Friday's 27-7 loss against Denver therefore served as a frustrating reminder of what Atlanta is about to lose…
The timing is even worse because Atlanta already lost another young pass rusher cause Jalon Walker, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, suffered a torn ACL in training camp and will miss the entire 2026 season.
Atlanta has attempted to add insurance. The Falcons signed veteran defensive end Cameron Sample earlier this week, and the move made even more sense with Walker already gone and Pearce's suspension looming. Sample has seven career sacks and 26 quarterback hits across 61 games.
Still, there is no obvious way to replace Pearce's production. That is why Friday's preseason opener feels so strange for Atlanta. The Falcons got to watch one of their most exciting young defensive players make an impact while knowing they will soon have to move forward without him.
Pearce's suspension is deservedly going to be a major storyline surrounding him, and Atlanta will have to deal with the football consequences regardless. From a purely football perspective, though, the Falcons have a player who appears capable of being a major part of their defense, and they will have to survive eight games before getting the chance to see him again.
That makes every preseason snap Pearce plays a little more valuable. Atlanta knows exactly what it has in him. Now the Falcons just have to figure out how to survive without it.
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