Falcons’ James Pearce Faces Battery Charge After ‘Incident’ With WNBA Star
Atlanta Falcons quarterback James Pearce Jr. is facing a battery charge — along with other charges — after an alleged domestic incident with the Los Angeles Sparks star Rickea Jackson.
Doral, Florida, Police Chief Edwin Lopez he told a local station Channel 10 News that Pearce, 22, was arrested after he crashed his car during a police chase on Saturday, February 7. He is charged with two counts of the aforementioned, a dangerous firearm, and fleeing or eluding police with lights or sirens and misdemeanor stalking.
A spokesman for the Atlanta Falcons told Us Weekly on Saturday, “We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr. in Miami. We are in the process of gathering more information and will have no further comment on an open legal matter at this time.”
Pearce reportedly fled the scene of the dispute with Jackson, 24, when police responded to a report of a dispute between a man and a woman. Chief Lopez confirmed Channel 10 News that the woman involved was Jackson.
After allegedly running away, the football player crashed his car near Northwest 103rd Avenue and 66th Street in Doral before being taken into custody. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami, with no bond immediately set.
Us has reached out to Doral police for comment and has also contacted Sparks.
Pearce was selected by the Atlanta Falcons as the 26th pick in the 2025 NFL draft and ended up playing in 17 games with 26 combined tackles and 10.5 sacks last season, for example. Sports Illustrated. He previously played three seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers at the collegiate level before turning pro.
Jackson played small forward for the Lady Volunteers after transferring from Mississippi State in 2022. She was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks as the fourth overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.
The two athletes’ romance has been rumored since their college days in Tennessee. Jackson finally went public with the relationship when he sat next to Pearce at his NFL Draft party in April 2024.
Fans were quick to point out the couple’s awkward introduction on social media, with Jackson replying in the form of X, “Soooo I have a doppelganger. Wow.”
Ricea Jackson in April 2024.
Sarah Stier/Getty ImagesIn June 2025, Jackson shut down pregnancy rumors after missing two Sparks games due to personal reasons. Pregnancy speculation started when she posted a selfie showing her holding a basketball in front of her stomach.
When a fan criticized Jackson’s friends for “suggesting she’s pregnant,” she explained, “1. My friends don’t use twitter. They should stop linking people for following😩.
Jackson returned to practice on June 3, 2025, where he complained to reporters about all the speculation about his absence.
“You have to face the facts yourself. Like, in the end, the media is no longer about the facts,” he told the media. “So that’s the media. Just take it with a grain of salt, and don’t be fooled.”
“Whatever sounds the best, that’s what people want to go with,” he continued. “Like, I’m pregnant, obviously.”
The Atlanta Falcons have revealed their upcoming NFL draft — with a sneak peek at former league coach Bill Belichick’s now-viral CBS interview. The Georgia football team made a Mario Kart-themed video to reveal what other teams will be playing in the fall, sharing it on social media on Wednesday, May 14. […]
At the time, the head coach of the Sparks Lynne Roberts sought to downplay social media speculation that Jackson’s absence was due to dissatisfaction with the WNBA franchise.
“As for Rickea, Rickea is a big part of our organization and our team,” said Roberts, 50. “He’s taking his time and we support him, and we’re excited to have him back when he’s ready to come back.”
Jackson returned to the court after sitting out two games with a leg injury late in the 2025 season.
