The Tennessee Titans released defensive lineman Jordan Elliott after he pulled a gun in the team facility parking lot following a practice altercation, creating an off-field distraction for Robert Saleh leading up to Week 7. Saleh said Elliott’s actions represented a “terrible lapse in judgment” and described the situation as a “call for help” while the NFL reviews the matter.
Locked On Titans host Tyler Rowland said the response to the incident will reveal more about Saleh’s developing culture than the disruption itself. Rowland argued that culture is built through how a team handles adversity, and the Titans now must show that they can focus amid a difficult 1-5 start.
Elliott’s release came Tuesday, Oct. 20, after the club said it had reviewed an Oct. 15 incident at its facility. Saleh confirmed Wednesday that Elliott pulled a gun in the parking lot and said the team had to follow its rules regarding firearms on club property. Elliott had appeared in five games for Tennessee after signing with the team in March.
Rowland said the episode compounds a stretch that already included the benching of Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor and internal frustration. He did not frame the problems as proof that Saleh’s program has failed; instead, he called Sunday’s response the meaningful measure of whether the first-year coach can establish standards.
The Cleveland Browns arrive at Nissan Stadium at 4-2 with a defense that has kept games within reach and an offense that has finished late. Locked On Browns host Spencer German said Cleveland cannot treat the matchup as automatic despite Tennessee’s record, particularly after the Titans earned their first win last week at Indianapolis.
On the field, Rowland said Tennessee’s path begins with avoiding turnovers, stopping the run, and finding a functional ground game of its own. Those tasks become harder if distractions carry into the preparation week, but they also offer Saleh a tangible way to judge his team’s response: disciplined football against a Browns roster built to capitalize on mistakes.
The Titans also need quarterback Cam Ward to finish drives. Rowland noted that the offense has ranked near the bottom of the league in red zone production and expressed significant concern about Ward’s early trajectory, though German urged patience and warned against abandoning a young quarterback before he has enough time to develop.
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