James Pearce Jr. of the Falcons faces charges following a domestic incident involving a WNBA star in Miami.

Atlanta Falcons rookie James Pearce Jr. was arrested late Saturday near Miami after allegedly running from police and crashing his vehicle following what authorities described as a domestic dispute involving WNBA player Rickea Jackson.

Pearce, a first-round draft pick who led Atlanta in sacks and finished third in voting for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, was taken into custody and booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Doral police responded to a report of a domestic altercation between a man and a woman, according to officials.

Jail records show Pearce is charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking, and fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement with lights or sirens activated. Bond had not yet been set for all charges.

The Falcons acknowledged the arrest in a statement.

“We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr. in Miami,” the team said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We are currently gathering additional information and will not comment further while this remains an open legal matter.”

Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez confirmed the incident involved Pearce and Jackson, a forward for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. Jackson was selected fourth overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft and averaged 14.7 points across 38 games — 37 of them starts — during the 2025 season. She previously played college basketball at Tennessee and Mississippi State.

Pearce, an edge rusher out of Tennessee, was chosen 26th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft as part of Atlanta’s effort to improve its pass rush. He recorded 10.5 sacks during his rookie season, and his 45 quarterback pressures set a franchise record for a first-year player. Pearce also totaled 26 tackles, 16 quarterback hits, forced one fumble, and recovered another while appearing in all 17 games.

FILE – Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson (2) dribbles during the first half of a WNBA basketball game on Aug. 29, 2025, in Los Angeles.Kyusung Gong / AP

Atlanta finished the season with an 8–9 record, which resulted in the dismissal of head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. The team later hired Kevin Stefanski as head coach and Ian Cunningham as general manager.