Former Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. didn’t have to travel too far to join up with the Atlanta Falcons after being taken in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Just about 213 miles, to be exact. It’s also close to his hometown of Charlotte, NC.
As Pearce gears up for his rookie season with the Falcons, he spent a few minutes speaking with the media on Wednesday. The interview session came during a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans.
After being asked a question about his fit with the Falcons and being close to the area where he’s played all his football so far, the former Vol got in a quick little jab at one of Tennessee’s border rivals.
“Yeah, for sure,” Pearce said about his fit in Atlanta. “I’m a down south kid, for sure. So I feel at home… Like I said, I’m a down south kid. Being here in Georgia, I ain’t like the Georgia Bulldogs that much, but other than that, you know what I’m saying, I’m back in my dad’s hometown. Get to play for the A. It’s a great thing to do.”
“Being here in Georgia, I didn’t like the Georgia Bulldogs that much.”
– VFL James Pearce Jr. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/xyzKmUpjMc
— Vol Report (@AllVolReport) August 14, 2025
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Pearce was selected with the 26th overall pick by the Falcons in the 2025 draft as a tool to revamp Atlanta’s pass rush. He’s been successful at showing off his talents during preseason camp so far, even drawing the praise of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons’ second-year quarterback referred to Pearce as a “baller” who is “going to make a lot of plays for us,” according to ESPN.
Pearce’s intensity has been on full display with the Falcons this summer, which has caused some unexpected headlines. In the third practice of camp, he got into a scuffle with Falcons left guard Matthew Bergeon, which led to some pushing and shoving between the offense and the defense. While the beef was squashed by the end of practice, Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said that it was alright because of the culture that the team is trying to build before the season – one that doesn’t back down.
“We’re trying to develop a culture — a style of play, for sure — and part of that is the violence with which we play and aggression, the urgency and all that,” Ulbrich said about the scuffle, via ESPN. “Today, at times, it went a little too far, and we’ve got to learn how to manage that.”
Pearce played 18 defensive snaps in the Falcons’ first preseason game against the Lions last week, but did not record any stats. Part of that was because of the way that Detroit attacked the protection on Pearce with pressure shifts, double teams, or runs away from his side of the ball.
“It’s (the opponent’s) job to be able to slow down the game a little bit, be able to help themselves,” Pearce said, via the Falcons team website. “That’s just what’s going on in the league, slowing down the game, especially since edge rushers can be so impactful.”
Pearce and the Falcons will host the Tennessee Titans in NFL preseason action on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. ET on the NFL Network.
