After the Jordan Elliott news broke at the Tennessee Titans facility on Wednesday, the media landscape has been differing views on the incident and how Robert Saleh and the organization handled it.
While these takes mostly center on Saleh and Elliott, with comments spanning the emotional spectrum, one aspect of the story has largely flown under the radar: John Franklin-Myers's role in de-escalating the situation.
This situation was ugly, and it truly could have cascaded into a nightmare that would have left a tragic imprint on the organization if not for Franklin-Myers, who, as Stephen A. Smith points out, is the true hero.
THIS COULD HAVE ENDED IN TRAGEDY! The Jordan Elliott incident raises serious questions about mental health and CTE in the
NFL. Are we doing ENOUGH? Watch my full breakdown on YouTube! pic.twitter.com/NyaPO1wfQE
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) October 21, 2026
“And I just want to say that when I think of that defensive lineman, John Franklin-Myers. You don’t throw these words around too easily, too often, but if there is a hero in all of this, it is him,” he said.
In that moment, Franklin-Myers took leadership to a new level, proving he was worth every penny of the offseason contract he signed, and that he is a true leader of men and, like Smith said, a hero.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Stephen A. Smith believes Titans' John Franklin-Myers is the 'true hero'
