JC Latham, an offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans, apparently never argued with teammate Jordan Elliott. In fact, they had spent time together last summer and also hung out when they happened to be in the same city. They were not close friends, but in his own words, “There ain’t never been no bad blood between us two.” All that was bound to change come October 15.

The two clashed during practice, when offensive and defensive linemen were going up against each other. It was all routine, but things escalated, and Elliott was told to leave the field. He removed his pads and headed out of the locker room, and that should have been the end of it. 

But Elliot reportedly went to the players’ parking area to retrieve a firearm. Fortunately for Elliot, defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers saved him from a career-ending stunt. It’s an episode Latham later concluded to be “just an unfortunate situation.” While there were no reported injuries or criminal case filed, the NFL wasn’t going to push this under the rug.

“An NFL spokesman said the league is investigating the situation surrounding former Titans DT Jordan Elliott, who was released after he brought a gun into the team’s training facility,” insider Adam Schefter shared. “If there is a violation that’s found while he’s not on a team, Elliott could serve a suspension as the free agent that he now is.”

The league’s review puts Elliott’s future in a difficult spot. NFL rules prohibit players from possessing firearms at team facilities, and the restriction reportedly extends to personal vehicles parked on team property. A violation could therefore carry consequences even if the firearm never left the parking area and nobody was injured.

The Titans had already taken action before the NFL announced its investigation. Elliott was inactive for the team’s Week 6 game against the Indianapolis Colts on October 18, despite Tennessee winning 26-20. The team then released him on October 20, ending his tenure after five games. He had signed a two-year, $8.5 million deal in the offseason after following head coach Robert Saleh from the San Francisco 49ers. Elliott recorded 11 tackles in those five appearances.

Saleh, however, made it clear that the release did not change his view of Elliott as a person. Speaking on Wednesday, the Titans coach described him as a “great man” and a “great father,” while acknowledging that retrieving a gun was a “terrible lapse in judgment.” Saleh said he saw the episode as a possible “cry for help” and stressed that the team had tried to ensure Elliott received the support he needed.

The coach also offered to vouch for Elliott if another team considered signing him. Saleh said he would stand by the defensive tackle’s character and urged other NFL teams looking for a run-stopping defensive lineman to contact him. That support does not change the league’s rules, but it does show that Elliott’s former coach is separating his assessment of the player from the seriousness of the incident.

The NFL’s investigation will determine whether Elliott violated league policy and whether further discipline is warranted. According to reporting by Pro Football Talk, a source familiar with the rules said a suspension could follow if Elliott signs with another team. That outcome is not yet official, however, and the league has not announced a penalty.