The Tennessee Titans released defensive tackle Jordan Elliott on Tuesday after an incident at the team’s facility last week.
Reacting on “Speakeasy,” former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho didn’t hedge on what comes next: “Jordan Elliott will never play another game in the National Football League.”
What We Know About the Incident That Led to Jordan Elliott’s Release
The Titans’ statement on Tuesday didn’t say what the incident was: “On Thursday, October 15th, there was an incident at our team facility involving Jordan Elliott. Following our review of the incident, we have made the decision to release Elliott from our roster. We will have no further comment on the matter.”
A to Z Sports’ Easton Freeze reported on X that, per his sources, “Firearm involved in Jordan Elliott’s release from Titans following frustration with teammate that carried over after practice.”
Reacting to the news, Acho said, “You can’t bring a gun inside the facility to use on your own teammate and expect to ever play football again. You do something as egregious as threaten the life of one of your brothers over some words, you’re never playing again.”
According to A to Z, Elliott’s irritation with a teammate began during practice on Thursday, October 15, and, on its own, did not alarm anyone who saw it.
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It followed him into the locker room after the session, though, and he was seen storming out upset. The outlet reported that he then went to the players’ parking garage next to the facility to get a firearm from his vehicle, and that “the situation was de-escalated before there was any altercation involving the firearm.”
That account doesn’t describe Elliott bringing a gun into the building or threatening a teammate’s life. The Metro Nashville Police Department also told A to Z on Tuesday afternoon that no reports had been filed and that the team had not contacted police about the incident.
Acho’s reaction then turned to what the alleged incident said about Elliott himself: “What makes an adult an adult? What makes a man different than a boy is emotional regulation. That’s what makes you an adult. When you’re a kid, you cry for literally any and every reason. You do not have emotional regulation.”
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He closed by urging Elliott to “make sure you get your emotions in check,” and reminded viewers that “this wasn’t an opponent” and that “this was quite literally a teammate who you were supposed to go to war with, not go to war against.”
Elliott is in his seventh NFL season after the Cleveland Browns took him in the third round of the 2020 draft. He spent four years in Cleveland and then two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
Last season he started 16 games there under former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, now Tennessee’s head coach.
Elliott followed Saleh to Tennessee on a two-year, $8 million free agent deal in March. The idea, essentially, was that a player who already knew the defense could help his new teammates learn the scheme Saleh was putting in during his first year.
Elliott played in Tennessee’s first five games. Nazir Stackhouse was among the defensive tackles who saw action with Elliott out during Sunday’s 26-20 win at Indianapolis. It was the Titans’ first win of the season, and they are now 1-5 and fourth in the AFC South.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.