The Atlanta Falcons have their work cut out for them as they prepare to slow down Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase and the rest of the explosive Cincinnati Bengals offense this Sunday in Madrid, Spain.
While the Falcons are banged up along their front seven, there's a chance they will get their top pass rusher back in time for Week 9. James Pearce Jr. is eligible to play after completing his eight-game suspension, however, the former first-round pick's back flared up during Friday's practice in Madrid.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said the team would monitor Pearce's status over the weekend but officially downgraded his status to questionable for Sunday's game. Since the Falcons were planning to ease Pearce back in on pass-rushing downs, there's
a good chance that they will opt to keep him sidelined in Week 9.
Atlanta is already thin up front after placing Samson Ebukam on the injured reserve list and cutting edge rushers Jared Ivey and Drake Jackson from the 53-man roster.
Kevin Stefanski says James Pearce Jr. had a back injury flare up today and the team will monitor how he progresses over the next two days.
— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) November 6, 2026
He’s officially questionable.
Last week, the Falcons failed to stop a Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense that failed to complete a single pass in Week 8. Since the Bengals are unlikely to have any issue completing passes, Atlanta's defense must find a way to get pressure on Burrow or it could be a long day.
We also expect the Falcons to elevate running back Khalil Herbert to the 53-man roster since Brian Robinson Jr. has been ruled out for his third consecutive game. We'll have to wait and see what roster moves the team makes before Sunday's kickoff at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Pearce's official game status will be announced with the team's inactives list on Sunday morning at 8 a.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons downgrade EDGE James Pearce Jr.'s status vs. Bengals
