There was a very odd story in the NFL this week as the Tennessee Titans released former San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Jordan Elliott after he went to go get a firearm from his car after an argument with a teammate at practice.
Titans head coach, and former Niners defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh characterized the incident as a severe lapse in judgment from Elliott but also spoke about how he is a good man and a good father and vouched for his character.
That makes sense because one of the first things Saleh did after becoming head coach of the Titans was to poach Elliott from the Niners, so he clearly thought very highly of both the player and the man, even if he was not a star for San Francisco last season by any stretch of the imagination.
Now Elliott’s future career prospects are somewhat up in the air. Will a team be willing to take a chance on a guy who had such a disturbing incident, even if there’s a chance it is just a one-off? Would the 49ers be willing to take that risk and give Elliott another shot?
Could 49ers give Jordan Elliott a 2nd chance?
It may be a bit macabre, but the optics of the Niners signing a guy who went to go get his gun after an argument and making him a teammate with two guys, Ricky Pearsall and Keion White, who were literally shot in the last few years would be ironic if nothing else.
But the 49ers do have a need for depth on the defensive line. Osa Odighizuwa and Gracen Halton have both been solid on the interior, but beyond them, the depth gets a little worse. Elliott is not going to be a guy who gets a ton of sacks, he had none with the Niners and doesn’t have any this season. But if he can be effective in the run game, then he can provide some value.
Do the Niners want to risk bringing in a potential locker-room problem when they’re 6-0 with the potential upside being that they get a decent depth piece?
Probably not, but if they suffer another injury on the interior, then it may be something they’re forced to consider.
People usually deserve a second chance, and Saleh’s defense of Elliott certainly carries weight, but a reunion with him would still be a risk for San Francisco even if it isn’t completely unthinkable.
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