The Tennessee Titans made headlines for the wrong reasons on Tuesday. The organization announced they are releasing defensive tackle Jordan Elliott after investigating an "incident" that took place at the facility. That is good news for nose tackle Nazir Stackhouse, who played admirably in Sunday's Week 6 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Elliott was signed to a two-year, $8 million contract by the Titans in free agency this past offseason. He was among the defensive lineman specifically brought over to quickly fulfill Robert Saleh's scheme. Elliott had previously played under Saleh with the San Francisco 49ers.
Late last week, Saleh announced Elliott would miss Sunday's contest versus the Colts due to "personal reasons." Now we know it was something far more significant than initially believed. Stackhouse replaced Elliott and maximized his opportunity.
Titans release DT Jordan Elliott after unknown incident; Nazir Stackhouse can capitalize
Elliott had been playing in a run-stopping role behind Jeffery Simmons and John Franklin-Myers. Prior to his release, he was the Titans' third-most used interior defender. Elliott had been credited with 11 tackles.
The Titans must now rely on Solomon Thomas and Stackhouse more moving forward. Stackhouse projects as the clear-cut beneficiary. He played 15 snaps on Sunday. Timmy Horne could be promoted from the practice squad in a corresponding move.
The Titans claimed Stackhouse off waivers from the Green Bay Packers after final 53-man roster cuts. The former Georgia standout has made the biggest impact of any Titans roster claim this season. Stackhouse played a premier run-stuffing role versus Jonathan Taylor while plugging up the middle.
Jordan Elliott's release is another strange Titans story
Titans fans will undeniably wonder about the nature of this Elliott "incident" that led to his release. It's obviously disciplinary in some measure. It arrives days after the Titans benched $58 million cornerback Alontae Taylor, who has $42 million in contract guarantees.
Coach Saleh declined to reveal whether Taylor's benching was disciplinary or performance based. It's also unclear if the Elliott incident is connected to Taylor in any way. The Titans aren't having a normal week despite finally winning a football game in 2026.
Elliott was a decent rotational defender, but his departure shouldn't hurt the defense much. The bigger storyline will center around whatever took place at the facility that led to his release. Meanwhile, Stackhouse will inherit a larger role after his stellar Week 6 performance.
Add us as a preferred source on Google