Robert Saleh Defends Jordan Elliott's Character After Titans Exit

The Tennessee Titans said goodbye to defensive lineman Jordan Elliott this week. 

Elliott was one of two players listed as out on the final injury report ahead of the game against the Indianapolis Colts. Kevin Winston Jr. was dealing with a quad injury, and Elliott didn't play due to a personal issue. 

The team didn't initially explain the issue and then released a statement saying Elliott was released on Tuesday. The statement said the release stemmed from an incident at the Titans' practice facility on Oct. 15. 

We didn't know much about the incident until a new development emerged Tuesday night. AtoZ Sports' Easton Freeze and Austin Stanley shared that the incident stemmed from an argument with the Titans' right tackle, J.C. Latham. 

Latham and Elliott had a disagreement at practice, and the defensive lineman stormed out of the locker room. Elliott then went to the parking garage and looked for a gun. 

Thankfully, the situation was de-escalated. 

ESPN's Turron Davenport shed light on the situation, reporting that Alontae Taylor was not involved in Elliott's release, saying they were separate incidents. 

Elliott and head coach Robert Saleh had spent time together before coming to the Titans. Elliott played for the San Francisco 49ers last season, where Saleh was the defensive coordinator. 

At Wednesday's press conference, Saleh spoke about the situation and spoke on Elliott's character. He clarified that Elliott is a good person who made a bad decision. 

"He's never committed a crime in his life in his entire life," Saleh said. "He pulled a gun in the parking lot. And the first question that I think everyone forgets to ask is, why would a great man, a great father, a man who shows up on time every day, works his *** off every day, contributes the way he's supposed to contribute, is well-liked in the locker room. Why did he go off the rails and grab a gun? To me, those are small signs of a cry of help in terms of, obviously there's something greater happening. ...I will stand on the table for Jordan's character. Unfortunately, rules are rules with regards to guns on property. Sometimes it's far greater than the knee-jerk reaction of kicking somebody when they're down. My message to 31 other teams would be if you need a hell of a run-stopping D-tackle that can help you on a playoff run, give me a call." 

Elliott joined the NFL in 2020 after being drafted by the Cleveland Browns. He became a starter in 2022. He spent his final year with the franchise in 2023. With the Browns, he had 98 total tackles, five sacks and eight TFLs. 

He wasn't offered a second contract from the Browns and joined the 49ers in 2024. He and Saleh didn't meet until 2025. Elliott played in 31 games with 29 starts for the 49ers. 

The defensive tackle had 50 total tackles and three TFLs with San Francisco. 

Elliott joined the Titans this offseason on a two-year deal worth $8 million. He was a solid depth piece on the Titans' defensive line, playing behind John Franklin-Myers. 

Elliott played in five games with the Titans, accounting for 11 total tackles. 

Saleh knows the kind of person that Elliott is. It's unfortunate that his Titans career ended the way that it did. 

The head coach knows that there are more sides to this story, and you could tell that he was heartbroken for Elliott. 

Titans Roundtable will provide more updates if any new developments come out about the situation. For now, the Titans will focus on preparing for the Cleveland Browns.