Titans’ Jordan Elliott release adds another layer of drama, but Robert Saleh’s earlier answer raises a different possibility

The Titans released Jordan Elliott after reviewing a facility incident. Details remain undisclosed, but Robert Saleh’s answer before Sunday’s game gives the decision another layer.

The Tennessee Titans released defensive tackle Jordan Elliott on Tuesday morning after reviewing an incident at the team facility. The team announced the move just after 9 a.m. CT with a short statement.

“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.”

On the surface, this looks like more of the same for a 1-5 team that can’t seem to do anything normal, even coming off its first win. Fumbling the opening kickoff. A penalty on the opening kickoff. A first-quarter turnover. Tennessee has struggled to string good things together, and Elliott is one more item on the list of things going the wrong way.

Who is Jordan Elliott?

Elliott is a 28-year-old, seventh-year defensive tackle out of Missouri. At 6-foot-4, 325 pounds, he was meant to be the Titans’ main run stopper. He’s not T’Vondre Sweat by any means, but he played that run-stuffing tackle type of role.

I liked what I saw from him in training camp and through the first five games (he did not play against the Indianapolis Colts). He had three tackles against the Texans, three against the Ravens, two against the Giants, one against the Eagles, and two against the Jets. Only two were solo, but that’s life for a run-stopping defensive tackle.

Elliott also has history with Titans coach Robert Saleh. The Cleveland Browns drafted him in the third round in 2020, and he posted five sacks in four seasons there. He then spent two years with the San Francisco 49ers and started 16 games last season with Saleh as his defensive coordinator.

Tennessee signed him to a two-year, $8 million deal in the first week of free agency. He was supposed to be one of the guys who helped carry Saleh’s system over to Nashville.

The Days of Our Titans

This incident only allows us to speculate as the Titans say they will have no further comment on the matter. To me, it means one of two things for the Titans.

The first option? It’s the next episode of Days of Our Lives, Titans style.

Just last week, Tennessee lost ugly to the Houston Texans again, 26-3. Cam Ward didn’t have a viral press conference moment for the first time in what feels like a month, but the drama found other ways in. Easton Freeze’s survey drew almost 8,000 Titans fans answering 25-plus questions in under 24 hours, and the results were not good for owner Amy Adams Strunk or president and CEO Burke Nihill. Apathy is setting into the most diehard portion of this fanbase.

Then A to Z Sports and Jared Stillman independently reported the Titans were set to hire Jeremy Walls from the Arizona Cardinals as chief business officer. That came just two days after a lawsuit from a former Cardinals employee, which includes allegations of racial discrimination and a toxic workplace, was sent to arbitration. Walls’ resume looked fine on paper, but how does Tennessee make that hire while still not answering for firing three vice presidents the week before? Nihill’s internal memo about those firings specifically said not to share it outside the organization. It got shared anyway, to Stillman (who had his credentials pulled right before Week 1) and to Paul Kuharsky.

Then came the attempted Friday afternoon news dump. Nihill sat down with Cory Curtis on WKRN News 2, a longtime team TV partner that runs the preseason games. It was the softest landing spot possible, and he fumbled it dramatically.

In that interview, and in an exclusive with ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport, Nihill said Tennessee has a stable football situation with Saleh and GM Mike Borgonzi. The day before, Elliott had the incident that got him benched and eventually cut.

Why this could be Saleh cutting it off at the root

Now let’s go back to Friday, because here’s where this could be a good thing for Nashville.

If you take the positive viewpoint, Saleh didn’t let a bad seed fester into something worse. At his Friday press conference, after explaining that Kevin Winston couldn’t play, Saleh finished his injury update with this:

“One thing that will show up on the injury report is Jordan Elliott won’t practice today. He’s dealing with some personal stuff.”

On a follow-up about whether Elliott would be available for the game, Saleh said, “I’m not there yet.”

In hindsight, that answer jumps off the page. If Elliott was away for a family matter or any other valid reason, we all know what that sounds like. “We’ll see how it plays out.” “We’re still working through that.” Not “I’m not there yet.”

This is me reading between the lines, but I think it makes logical sense. “I’m not there yet” sounds like a coach who isn’t ready to answer because he’s still gathering information. “personal stuff” is usually a player’s decision. Saleh made it his decision.

It’s also worth noting the statement said the team facility, not the locker room. That keeps it vague and opens the door to who knows what.

Then there’s cornerback Alontae Taylor, signed the same week as Elliott to a much bigger deal (three years, $58 million). Taylor was a healthy scratch for Sunday’s win in Indy, and Saleh shut down questions about it Monday morning:

“It’s just my decision, guys. I’m not going to elaborate.”

So which is it? The next episode of Days of Our Titans, or a head coach who knows how to keep a locker room pointed in the right direction after a win? The answer starts on the field against the Cleveland Browns, and I wouldn’t bet against a few more plot twists before then.