[Highlight] Robert Saleh defends DT Jordan Elliott after release over gun incident: "This is a man who is a father, a great husband, he's never committed a crime in his entire life...why did he go off the rails and grab a gun? To me, those are small signs of a cry for help"
posted by u/expellyamos · 2026-10-21 16:46 UTC
(No body, title and link only)
## Top comments
1. u/BlueBeagle8 · 2026-10-21 16:53 UTC
Respectfully, maybe the guy who brought a gun to work and went to go get it when he got angry isn't actually the great husband, father, and person that you thought he was?
2. u/KingJeffreyJoffa · 2026-10-21 16:58 UTC
It's Tennessee I assume everyone has a gun in their vehicle
3. u/gwaydms · 2026-10-21 17:24 UTC
I went to school in Texas during the 1970s. A lot of guys had guns (mostly hunting rifles and shotguns) in their cars, right in the school parking lot. Even more guys carried pocket knives as tools. And yes, there were fights, but weapons were never pulled, much less used. Back then that was considered low-class and cowardly. Things have changed regarding weapons, and not far the better.
4. u/Shadowstar1000 · 2026-10-21 18:30 UTC
It’s partly because of stand your ground laws. In my state I have stronger legal protections if I choose to pull a gun than if I try to resolve an incident with my fists. The laws have been written in a way that encourages the use of deadly force over a street fight.
5. u/sleepyjack2 · 2026-10-21 19:25 UTC
That's not what stand your ground laws do.
At common law in many jurisdictions there was a duty to retreat before using deadly force in self defense, e.g. If someone attacked me with a knife and I have a gun I couldn't justify use of deadly force in response if a court determined I had a reasonable opportunity to retreat. Stand your ground laws got rid of that requirement in part because it led to judges and jurors Monday morning quarterbacking split second decisions, and because there's a general consensus that the non aggressor shouldn't bear the responsibility of retreat.
What stand your ground laws do not do is authorize escalation of a non deadly threat with deadly force. Deadly force in self defense still requires a threat of deadly force or at least serious bodily injury (as distinguished from ordinary injury).
Some controversial and high profile cases have led to stand your ground laws being invoked in media coverage when actually they have little or no bearing on the case (e.g. Kyle Rittenhouse, Trayvon Martin, etc.)
6. u/Infamous-Lab-8136 · 2026-10-21 17:07 UTC
I also assume great husband/father/person grades are given on a curve, and Kid Rock has gotta lower the bar for everyone else in the state pretty significantly just by existing
7. u/ClaudeLemieux · 2026-10-21 17:18 UTC
I know Chris Rock has retracted bits of that standup because the language makes it very easy to completely take it out of context and all that but it still cracks me up when it comes to topics like this
"I take care of my kids"
"YOU SUPPOSED TO YOU DUMB MFER!"
"I aint never been to jail"
"Whatchu want a cookie? YOU NOT SUPPOSED TO YOU LOW EXPECTATION HAVING MFER"
8. u/Great_Fault_7231 · 2026-10-21 17:08 UTC
Do they all go and get it when they get angry?
9. u/SenorSolAdmirador · 2026-10-21 17:25 UTC
Only when they have a good reason such as somebody made them mad.
10. u/WaluigiIsTheRealHero · 2026-10-21 17:00 UTC
At least 1.
11. u/DrummerGuy06 · 2026-10-21 17:23 UTC
"My florist has a gun."
12. u/sicsemperyanks · 2026-10-21 17:03 UTC
I wouldn't go that far. Plenty of "good" people can snap. I mean, maybe he's not a good father, but I wouldn't determine that from this incident.
That said, in no way shape or form is threatening fatal violence over a workplace disagreement a "cry for help"
13. u/Micro_mint · 2026-10-21 17:20 UTC
Huh? How is it not a cry for help? Like is it not an obvious indicator he needs some fucking intervention, aka help?
It’s not normal behavior
14. u/Doopoodoo · 2026-10-21 17:26 UTC
I think people just view that term differently. This is definitely a sign he needs help but “cry for help” kinda implies he specifically did this with the intent of getting help which isn’t necessarily the case
15. u/Cocotapioka · 2026-10-21 17:47 UTC
I view it as, "This incident is a clear indication that he is mentally unwell and he needs help", not that this was his indirect way of asking for assistance
16. u/Micro_mint · 2026-10-21 19:05 UTC
Right? Is that not what it’s always meant?
It’s metaphorical; no one says it meaning “this person literally started shrieking ‘help me!’” lmao
17. u/7-IronSpecialist · 2026-10-21 17:22 UTC
Cry for help might have not been the ideal phrase. Might have been better to say "a sign of distress/a sign of deeper issues". But I get his point. It's not like he's saying it's a healthy way to do so, as some people just aren't good at opening up about or even being aware of their own mental health issues. I don't think Saleh is saying the behavior is a preferred way to "cry for help".
18. u/darowlee · 2026-10-21 17:25 UTC
It absolutely can be a cry for help. Someone with no known issues like that before, snapping to such a major extent seems like a very obvious cry for help, even if he didn't intend it to be. So many athletes (and males in general) still hold to these archaic traits about men not showing emotion and being the rock for everyone else. Maybe he took on too much and finally snapped.
I am in no way giving a pass here. It's completely unacceptable behavior and even those in the world with mental illness are still responsbile for their actions.
19. u/Dangerous_Emu1 · 2026-10-21 17:08 UTC
Yeah exactly. I’m all about men being comfortable with asking for help and not sweeping mental health under the rug. But this was a disagreement. As a gun owner you only pull a gun if you intend to use it, it’s hard coming back from that escalation. Open carry state or not.
20. u/rallar8 · 2026-10-21 18:25 UTC
He’s also 28 years old, you’re an adult now.
It’s totally valid to say he’s not the worst thing he’s ever done, more importantly there are standards of public comportment and safety. Grabbing a gun, in anger, around other people, is totally unacceptable.