Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh confirmed Wednesday that defensive tackle Jordan Elliott was released after pulling a gun in the parking lot of the team facility but said it was a "terrible lapse in judgment that I recognize as a call for help more than a criminal act.”
The Titans had announced Tuesday that Elliott was released, saying only that it came after his involvement in an unspecified incident at the team’s facility five days earlier.
A person briefed on the incident told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Elliott had a gun in his car and went to the parking lot to retrieve it after a dispute with another player. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the incident is being reviewed.
Elliott's agent, Malki Kawa, could not be reached for comment.
The NFL prohibits league personnel from taking a firearm to club facilities, stadiums and team hotels and on team planes or buses.
The Titans promptly notified the league of the incident involving Elliott, which is being reviewed, the NFL said.
Speaking to reporters, Saleh defended Jordan's character.
“Unfortunately, rules are rules with regard to guns on property, and sometimes it’s far greater than the knee-jerk reaction of kicking somebody when they’re down,” the coach said.
“He’s a good man. Made a terrible, had a terrible lapse in judgment that I recognize as a call for help more than a criminal act,” Saleh added. "He’s never committed a crime in his entire life and he pulled a gun, in the parking lot.”
Right tackle JC Latham, who was involved in the altercation with Elliott on the practice field, called the episode an unfortunate situation.
“I don’t really have too much to say about it," Latham said Wednesday. “There ain’t never been no bad blood between us two. We were here on the summer getting treatment. Before that, we hung out whenever we were in the same city together. We actually had never had an argument leading up to it."
Elliott appeared in five games this season with one start and had 11 tackles. He followed Saleh to Nashville after a two-year stint with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played in 31 games with 29 starts.
The 6-foot-4 defensive tackle was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2020 draft. He spent his first four seasons in Cleveland before signing a two-year, $7 million deal with San Francisco.
Tennessee added him as a free agent in the offseason on a two-year, $8 million deal.
AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi in Tampa, Florida, contributed to this report.
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
FILE - Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jordan Elliott (95) walks to the locker room at halftime of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Stew Milne, File)
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — With fans chanting “We don’t need you!,” the Ottawa Senators defeated Brady Tkachuk and his Florida Panthers 5-1 on Wednesday night.
Tkachuk, who spent eight seasons in Ottawa, including five as captain, was given a hostile reception in his return. He was booed regularly and the crowd aimed derisive chants at him throughout the evening.
A number of fans even threw Tkachuk jerseys on the ice.
The Senators (7-3-0) lost goaltender Linus Ullmark to an apparent injury early in the third period. Ullmark, who allowed one goal on 18 shots, made a pad save on Tkachuk and then needed assistance getting off the ice.
Sam Ersson faced one shot in relief.
Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Shane Pinto, Warren Foegele and Stephen Halliday scored for Ottawa.
Tkachuk scored the lone goal for the Panthers (5-3-2), who had won three straight. Akira Schmid made 25 saves.
Emotions boiled over in the third. Tkachuk, his brother Matthew and their Panthers teammate Sam Bennett got into it with Senators players in front of Ottawa’s bench. Brady Tkachuk got into a heated exchange with Senators center Dylan Cozens.
Earlier in the period, Bennett fought Ottawa forward Ridly Greig.
Foegele gave the Senators a 4-1 lead by finishing off a great feed from Cozens at the eight-minute mark of the third. Halliday made it 5-1 when he scored off Stutzle's drop pass.
The Senators scored twice in the second. Giroux scored his second goal of the season through traffic from the top of the slot midway through the period.
Pinto made it 3-1 at 17:18.
Despite the hostile environment, Tkachuk seemed unfazed and opened the scoring with a power-play goal midway through the first period on a feed from his brother.
Stutzle tied the game just more than four minutes later with a one-timer off a pass from Jake Sanderson.
Panthers: Play at Pittsburgh on Thursday.
Senators: Host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
See AP’s full NHL coverage here
Florida Panthers Sam Bennett (9) reaches his hand into the face of Ottawa Senators Ridly Greig (71) in a fight during third period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (Keito Newman/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ottawa Senators head athletic therapist Domenic Nicoletta, right, attends to goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during third period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (Keito Newman/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ottawa Senators' Dylan Cozens (24) looks to clear the puck from in front of Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) as Florida Panthers' Lars Eller (20) looks for the rebound during third period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (Keito Newman/The Canadian Press via AP)
Fans throw a former Ottawa Senators Brady Tkachuk jersey onto the ice during an NHL hockey game between the Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (Keito Newman/The Canadian Press via AP)
Florida Panthers' Brady Tkachuk (8) skates during warmups prior to an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (Keito Newman/The Canadian Press via AP)
