As the Atlanta Falcons' voluntary offseason program kicked off on Tuesday, it was reported beforehand that James Pearce would not be in attendance in the wake of his February arrest, which led Kevin Stefanski to break his silence on the situation while addressing the media on Wednesday.
""I will tell you guys that James Pearce is not here. We've been in constant communication with his representation.""Kevin Stefanski
Stefanski confirmed to ESPN's Marc Raimondi that while Pearce is not in attendance for voluntary OTAs, the Falcons have been in constant communication with his representation. He also said that aside from Pearce, the team will not reveal who will and will not be in attendance, as these activities are not mandated by the league.
When previously asked about the 22-year-old, both Stefanski and Ian Cunningham have been unwilling to divulge much information while the legal process plays out out of respect for the investigation other than monitoring it, but this is the first time fans have clarity on the situation.
You won't see James Pearce Jr. in the Falcons' team facility any time soon
Teams with first-year head coaches like the Dirty Birds are allowed to start their offseason program earlier than the rest of the NFL in order to give the new coach a chance to get to know the players. So Atlanta was one of 10 teams who got their start on Tuesday, which give a major answer about Pearce.
After his February arrest, which stemmed from an alleged domestic dispute with then-girlfriend Rickea Jackson, Pearce was charged with five felonies, but a felony stalking charge was dropped to a misdemeanor while an aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer charge was dropped entirely.
The Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist was charged with three felonies for fleeing and eluding police, resisting an officer with violence to his or her person, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Jackson has since filed a protective order against Pearce after he allegedly tried to crash his car into hers while driving to the police station.
Even if Pearce had shown today or at some point during voluntary OTA's, there is still the possibility of NFL discipline, but league precedent typically waits for the legal process to play out before determining a punishment, which is not close since his trial won't even begin until early next month.
The 2025 first-round pick's trial is set to commence on May 4 in Miami-Dade County, so until that concludes, his NFL future will be placed on pause, meaning you shouldn't expect to see him in the building anytime soon.