The Atlanta Falcons had to get by without their two starting edge rushers for the first eight games of the season, but they will get one half of their promising duo back this weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Fresh off serving an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, James Pearce Jr. is expected to make his 2026 NFL season debut this Sunday in Madrid, Spain. The Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist led the Falcons with 10.5 sacks last season.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski already said that Pearce would return on Sunday, but he hasn't said exactly how much the second-year pass rusher will play against the Bengals.
On Thursday morning, Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich laid out the plan for Pearce in Week
9.
"A lot of his conditioning and ability to play more will be dependent on what he shows as the game goes along," Ulbrich told team reporter Tori McElhaney. "We're thinking that we'll go in with a pitch count, but we could obviously change that thinking pretty quickly based upon how he plays."
Jeff Ulbrich was asked about the incorporation of James Pearce Jr. back into the defense. Said they're thinking he's going to be in a primary pass rush role (2nd and long, 3rd downs, etc.) but that has the capacity to change.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) November 5, 2026
"A lot of his conditioning and ability to play more…
Pearce is more of a speed-rusher than a true defensive end, but he had no trouble adapting his game to the NFL level as a rookie. The former Tennessee standout led all rookies in sacks last season, while fellow rookie linebacker Jalon Walker ranked second with 5.5 sacks.
Walker tore his ACL during training camp and has already been ruled out for the season. Atlanta's front-seven suffered another big blow on Sunday. The team placed edge rusher Samson Ebukam on the injured reserve list with a hamstring injury.
The Falcons will need veterans Za'Darius Smith and Cameron Thomas to step up, but they're lucky to have Pearce returning in time for Week 9. The Bengals offense, led by star QB Joe Burrow, is off to another promising start. Sunday's game starts at 9:30 a.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich lays out plan for James Pearce vs. Bengals
