Ex-49ers player cut for reportedly grabbing firearm after teammate dispute

A former San Francisco 49ers player who followed Robert Saleh to the Tennessee Titans has been released for reportedly bringing a firearm to the team’s facility.

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Jordan Elliott was released on Tuesday, with the Titans specifically citing “an incident at our team facility” following their Oct. 15 practice. The team did not say what the incident was but said it would not comment further. But word gets around fast in the NFL, and on Tuesday night, A to Z Sports broke the story that has since been reported by numerous outlets.

According to the Athletic, Elliott was kicked out of practice after an altercation with a teammate — which ESPN reported was offensive lineman JC Latham — and went to the parking lot, where he had a firearm in his car. ESPN reported that fellow defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers “helped to deescalate the situation,” with Elliott never taking the gun outside of the parking lot. That alone broke NFL rules, as the league told multiple outlets that possessing a firearm on team or league facilities is strictly prohibited. 

Elliott spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the 49ers, which came when he signed a two-year, $7 million contract as part of a wave of moves on the defensive line. Elliott played in 31 out of 34 possible games in his time with San Francisco, finishing with 50 combined tackles and three tackles for loss. He also played in both playoff games last year and had one tackle.

A former third-round pick by the Browns, Elliott signed a similar two-year deal with the Titans this offseason, following ex-49ers defensive coordinator Saleh to his new team. He had 11 combined tackles in five games prior to the Oct. 15 practice.

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The next day, Saleh told reporters that Elliott wouldn’t practice because he was “dealing with some personal stuff.” ESPN reported Elliott didn’t travel with the team to its Week 6 game in Indianapolis and that he was left off the roster for the game — which the Titans won to pick up their first victory of the season. Two days later, Tennessee officially released Elliott.

On Wednesday, Saleh spoke to reporters and gave a heartfelt, roughly two-minute statement about Elliott. Saleh praised him and said last week’s incident was “a terrible lapse in judgment that I recognize as a call for help more than a criminal act.” He also called on the other NFL teams to consider adding Elliott and said he would vouch for his former player if the other teams called.