Former Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jordan Elliott may have lost his job after he decided to pull a gun amid a confrontation with ex-teammate JC Latham, but Elliott still has the support of Titans head coach Robert Saleh.
While discussing the incident at the Titans practice facility that led to Tennessee deciding to cut Elliott from the roster earlier this week, Saleh went to bat for Elliott to get another opportunity to play in the NFL again.
The coach also addressed concerns surrounding the current state of Elliott’s mental health, while referencing recent deaths by suicide involving NFL players.
“This is a man who’s a father, a great husband; he’s never committed a crime in his entire life, and he pulled a gun in the parking lot,” Saleh said. “The first question that I think everyone forgets to ask is: why would a grown man, a great father, a man that shows up on time every day, works his ass off every day, contributes the way he’s supposed to contribute and 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,” Saleh continued. “And I thought the team and the NFL did an outstanding job with regard to pausing and asking those questions and checking every single box with regards to getting him the help that he needs.”
Prior to the gun incident last week, Elliott had been dealing with personal family issues at home, a source told NFL reporter Aaron Wilson. Elliott reportedly got upset after he got tangled up with Latham on a play during practice last Thursday.
Security cameras at the Titans facility reportedly showed Elliott going to his car to retrieve his firearm before fellow defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers intervened and convinced Elliott not to escalate the conflict any further.
“This was so crazy,” the unnamed source told Wilson. “Jordan has been having a lot of problems away from the building and obviously he brought it to work with him. There was no reason for him to go off like that. Everyone thought that was wild. To overreact like that is absolutely crazy. We’re just glad that no one got hurt and it’s over.”
Despite the scary situation that unfolded, Saleh believes Elliott deserves another chance to play in the NFL again.
“These kids go through a lot,” Saleh said. “I will stand on the table for Jordan’s character. My message to 31 other teams: If you need a hell of a run-stopping [defensive tackle] that can help for 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,” Saleh added.
Elliott was a 2020 third-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns after playing college football at Texas and then his final two years at Missouri.
The defensive tackle played his first four NFL seasons with Browns and two with the San Francisco 49ers before joining the Titans this year on a two-year contract worth a total of $8 million.
