Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich ‘obviously disappointed’ by James Pearce Jr.’s arrest

Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said it's too early to determine James Pearce Jr.'s availability to the team after the edge rusher was arrested Saturday on five felony charges in Florida.

The Falcons have a voluntary offseason program beginning in April. Ulbrich said at a previously scheduled news conference on Wednesday that he could not say if the Falcons need to prepare for Pearce's possible absence.

"It's still so early," Ulbrich said. "We're still not there yet either way."

Ulbrich, whose first season in Atlanta coincided with Pearce's rookie year in 2025, said he was "obviously disappointed" by the news of the arrest.

The Falcons had released a statement on Saturday night.

"We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr., in Miami," the Falcons stated. "We are in the process of gathering more information and will not have any further comment on an open legal matter at this time."

New head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Wednesday that there's "really nothing to add."

"Our coaches will defer to the statement that was put out, so respectfully, I understand there's questions, but we don't have much to add there," Stefanski said.

Pearce allegedly struck a police officer with his vehicle while evading arrest and crashed into a vehicle driven by ex-girlfriend and WNBA player Rickea Jackson, ESPN reported on Monday.

Per the criminal complaint obtained by ESPN from the Miami-Dade County state attorney's office, the charges against Pearce include aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking and aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer.

Pearce, 22, spent most of Saturday night and Sunday in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, then was released Sunday night after posting a $20,500 bond.

Jackson, a forward with the Los Angeles Sparks, told police she had recently ended a relationship with Pearce after about three years. Both Jackson and Pearce attended Tennessee.

Atlanta traded its 2026 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for the 2025 No. 26 overall pick and selected Pearce. It was announced Thursday night at NFL Honors that he finished third in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

He finished the 2025 season with 10.5 sacks -- the most by a rookie since Micah Parsons (13) for Dallas in 2021 -- 10 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and five pass breakups.