Falcons head coach Raheem Morris makes it clear how the team feels about former Vols DL James Pearce ahead of final preseason game

The Atlanta Falcons faced some criticism for their decision to trade back into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to select Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce.

Pearce was viewed as a top 10 talent, but he fell down several team's draft boards due to "character concerns".

The Falcons, however, never had any real concerns about Pearce's character -- mostly because of the team's first-hand interactions with Pearce ahead of the draft.

Atlanta has been rewarded for their belief in Pearce with a strong training camp/preseason performance from the former Vol.

Pearce has been so good during preseason action, in fact, that the Falcons aren't going to play him in their final preseason game (Friday night against the Dallas Cowboys).

"No, James Pearce is done for the preseason as well," said Morris Wednesday when asked if Pearce will play against Dallas. "He gave us a significant amount of snaps, a lot of snaps. I'm really pleased with what he's been able to do in the preseason. So you won't see him (against Dallas)."

NFL teams typically want to get rookies as much preseason action as possible. Pearce, though, has shown enough during preseason action that the Falcons are satisfied with where he’s at -- to the point that their biggest concern now is keeping the former Vol healthy for the regular season.

The former Tennessee standout is poised to play a major role in the Falcons' defense in 2025.