Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh confirmed on Wednesday that the organization has released defensive tackle Jordan Elliott. The move followed an incident at the team’s facility five days earlier in which Elliott allegedly brandished a firearm in the parking lot. While the club initially reported his departure as the result of an unspecified incident, a source familiar with the situation indicated that the altercation began with a dispute involving another player, prompting Elliott to retrieve the weapon from his vehicle. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the incident is being reviewed.
Addressing reporters regarding the decision, Saleh defended the personal character of the veteran player while acknowledging the team’s strict disciplinary standards. “Unfortunately, rules are rules with regard to guns on property, and sometimes it’s far greater than the knee-jerk reaction of kicking somebody when they’re down,” Saleh stated. He further described the encounter as a “terrible lapse in judgment that I recognize as a call for help more than a criminal act,” adding that Elliott has never previously faced criminal charges in his career.
Right tackle JC Latham, who was involved in the practice field dispute, described the encounter as an unfortunate event and denied any lingering hostility. Latham remarked that the two had maintained a positive relationship previously, having spent time together during the summer, and insisted there was no ongoing conflict between them before the incident occurred. According to “I don’t really have too much to say about it,” Latham, Wednesday. “There ain’t never been no bad blood between us two. We were here on the summer getting treatment. Before that, we hung out whenever we were in the same city together.
The release marks a swift end to Elliott’s time with Tennessee. The 6-foot-4 defensive lineman signed an $8 million, two-year contract as a free agent during the most recent offseason. He had appeared in five games this season, recording one start and 11 tackles. Elliott originally entered the league as a third-round selection by the Cleveland Browns in 2020. Before joining the Titans, he spent four seasons in Cleveland and two years with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played in 31 games under Saleh’s guidance. Where he played in 31 games with 29 starts, he followed Saleh to Nashville after a two-year stint with the San Francisco 49ers. He spent his first four seasons in Cleveland before signing a two-year, $7 million deal with San Francisco.
