Published October 21, 2026 01:05 PM
Titans head coach Robert Saleh spent a large portion of his Wednesday press conference discussing the incident that led to defensive tackle Jordan Elliott’s release earlier this week.
Elliott was released after he went to his car to retrieve a gun in the wake of an argument with teammate JC Latham last Thursday. Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers intervened to de-escalate the situation and Saleh said it was “really admirable” of Franklin-Myers to step in to help keep things from getting worse.
Saleh also complimented the team and the league for doing “an outstanding job with regards to pausing and asking” why Elliott was in a headspace that led him to make that decision. He referenced cases of NFL players killing themselves and said he wants Elliott to “get all the help he needs” after a moment that was out of character for the person that he knows.
“I’m not saying that’s where he was, but these kids go through a lot. I will stand on the table for Jordan’s character,” Saleh said. “Unfortunately, rules are rules regarding guns on property and 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 helluva runstopping D-tackle that can help you on a playoff run, give me a call. I’ll tell you everything you need to know about him. He’s a good man. Had a terrible lapse in judgment that I recognize as a call for help more than a criminal act. . . . [Elliott] deserves another chance. Rules are rules, it can’t be here.”
Saleh said the pause between the incident and Tuesday’s release was because “we wanted to make sure we got him all the help he needs.” He said he’s not sure if that has helped with his belief that there was “something greater happening,” but he made it clear that he thinks that incident shouldn’t be the final chapter for Elliott in the NFL.