Things just took a major turn for former Tennessee star James Pearce Jr., who got arrested Saturday night in Florida after a wild series of events. The Falcons’ standout rookie is now facing some heavy legal heat that has everyone talking.

The 22-year-old defensive standout was taken into custody following what police described as a messy domestic dispute with WNBA player Rickea Jackson, a forward for the Los Angeles Sparks.

According to the police, the drama started at the Doral Police Headquarters. Pearce allegedly intentionally rammed his Lamborghini into Jackson’s car multiple times to try and block her from getting to the station. When officers showed up, Pearce reportedly took off in his car, leading them on a high-speed chase through the area.

Things took a turn for the worse during the chase when Pearce allegedly drove his car straight toward a police officer before finally wiping out at an intersection. The word is, chase ended when Pearce crashed his vehicle at Northwest 103rd Avenue and 66th Street. Shortly afterwards, videos started popping up all over socials of six cops pinning him to the pavement just to get the cuffs on him after the wreck.

Now, he’s looking at a big amount of trouble with a long list of serious felonies. He’s being hit with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking, and also for trying to flee from the cops. On top of that, they tacked on charges for hitting an officer with his car and resisting arrest, which makes the whole thing way difficult for him.

By Sunday morning, he was sitting in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Because the charges are so intense, the judge isn’t even letting him post bond on several of them yet. He’s stuck behind bars for the time being while the lawyers try to figure out his next move.

What’s next for James Pearce Jr.?

Right now, things are looking pretty rough for the former Tennessee star. In the football side, his career is basically on pause. The Atlanta Falcons have acknowledged the arrest and released the statement:

“We are in the process of gathering more information and will not have any further comment on an open legal matter at this time”.

Regardless of the legal outcome will go, the NFL will probably conduct its own investigation under the Personal Conduct Policy. Such charges often lead to a spot on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. This would bar him from team activities while the league reviews the case.

This arrest has to be ‘fall from grace’ because Pearce had just finished an incredible debut season in the NFL. After being a first-round pick out of Tennessee, he set a Falcons rookie record with 10.5 sacks and had just finished third in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting earlier that week. During his time as a Vol, Pearce was by miles considered the best pass rusher in the country by many analysts. He was even a First-Team All-SEC star.

Seeing an athlete of this caliber in this kind of trouble has definitely left fans in Knoxville and Atlanta stunned.