The Tennessee Titans have released defensive tackle Jordan Elliott after an incident in which he displayed a gun in the parking area at the club’s facility, coach Robert Saleh confirmed Wednesday. Elliott’s departure follows what Saleh described as a serious error in judgment and a situation requiring concern rather than a purely punitive reaction.
What changed for the franchise
Tennessee announced Elliott’s release Tuesday, five days after the incident, without initially detailing what had happened at the facility.
Saleh said team policy left no room for a player possessing a gun on club property, while also stressing that he did not view Elliott as a criminal. The coach called Elliott a good person who had made a major mistake and said he believed the episode was a sign that the defensive tackle needed help.
“Policies involving firearms on team grounds must be enforced,” Saleh said, adding that the circumstances went beyond simply piling on someone who was already struggling. He also said Elliott had no prior criminal history before bringing out a gun in the parking lot.
Right tackle JC Latham had been involved in a practice-field altercation with Elliott. Latham said there had not been ongoing tension between the two players and called the development unfortunate.
Latham said he and Elliott had spent time together during the summer while receiving treatment and had also socialized when they were in the same city. He said they had never argued before the incident.
Elliott played in five games for Tennessee this season, starting one, and recorded 11 tackles. The 6-foot-4 interior lineman joined the Titans in the offseason on a two-year contract worth $8 million.
He arrived in Nashville after two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, where he appeared in 31 games and made 29 starts. Elliott began his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns, who selected him in the third round of the 2020 draft. He spent four seasons in Cleveland before signing a two-year, $7 million deal with San Francisco.
