The Atlanta Falcons' defense is bringing a whole new fire into the 2025 season, reflecting defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s message to the team. After an inconsistent year in 2024, the Falcons are expected to rely far more on their defense — and rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is already making his presence felt. However, Pearce has stirred things up during training camp by getting into multiple scuffles on the practice field.
“Rookie James Pearce Jr. was the main character today. He set off two scrums on back-to-back plays — the first going at it with Ryan Neuzil and Matthew Bergeron (who had some words), and the second with Kaleb McGary,”wrote Adnan Ikic of The Falcoholic.
That incident happened during the first week of camp, but over the weekend, Pearce found himself in another skirmish — and this time, head coach Raheem Morris got involved.
“A scuffle at training camp. James Pearce Jr in the middle of it. Raheem Morris got in his face after. Looked like JPJ grabbed a face mask at some point. He was taken out of the next rep,” NBC Atlanta’s Maria Martin posted.
On Wednesday, Fox 5 Atlanta’s Miles Garrett reported what Morris had to say about the confrontation.
“Raheem Morris says he hates the fighting but likes how his rookie listened and responded afterwards at a high level,” Garrett posted.
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Morris also praised Pearce’s discipline on the field, referencing his college record.
“Coach Raheem also pointed out that JPJ did not have any unsportsmanlike conducts or personal fouls in college. JPJ knows not to hurt his team,” BroTalk of the Reporting Eligible Podcast wrote.
Despite the altercations, Morris and the Falcons remain confident in Pearce. His fire and intensity may cause minor clashes in practice, but his teammates and coaches see that it’s driven by passion and a will to win. For now, he just needs to prove himself on the practice field — and once the games begin, his job will be simple: wreak havoc.