We had a bit of a news dump in the NFL ahead of the three preseason games that kicked off Friday night. The league suspended four players at the start of the season for various violations, headlined by Atlanta Falcons pass rusher James Pearce Jr., who was issued an eight-game suspension following his offseason arrest. All four suspensions begin on Aug. 30, meaning the players can participate in preseason activities, including preseason games.
Two notable players who did not receive suspensions on Friday are Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua. However, the NFL is looking into these situations. Jacobs was arrested this offseason on charges related to domestic violence, but the case remains open.
As for Nacua, a woman filed a civil lawsuit against him in March on allegations of gender violence, along with assault and battery. The NFL suspended James Pearce Jr. eight games without pay for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. He is eligible for reinstatement on Monday, Nov. 2.
The Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist was arrested on Feb. 7 after he chased his then-girlfriend in an SUV and rammed her vehicle. Pearce fled from police before eventually being apprehended. He was initially charged with three felonies: Aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person.
Pearce struck an agreement where if he completed a pre-trial intervention program and stayed out of trouble for six months, all charges would be dismissed. The victim and the police officers involved in the case agreed to this resolution. The loss of Pearce is a massive one for Atlanta, especially when you consider that fellow second-year pass rusher Jalon Walker suffered a torn ACL in training camp.
In his first NFL season, Pearce set a Falcons rookie record by racking up 10.5 sacks in addition to 26 tackles. On the Falcons' initial depth chart, Cameron Thomas and Brandon Dorlus are listed as their starting pass rushers. Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis was suspended for the first three games of the season after he violated the NFL's substance abuse policy.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
