Former New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple has found another landing spot.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Apple will be joining the San Francisco 49ers for the 2025 NFL season. The veteran reportedly joins the West Coast team on a one-year deal.
Following his run at Ohio State in 2015, Apple entered the NFL Draft as a projected first-round selection. The Giants took on Apple with their 10th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Through his first two seasons, Apple appeared in 25 games for the Giants, collecting 18 starts. He combined 100 tackles and racked up 15 pass deflections, along with a fumble and an interception.
During his third season in the NFL, Apple appeared in just five games for the Giants. He racked up 23 tackles through that stretch before finding himself traded to the New Orleans Saints. The Giants acquired a fourth-rounder and a seventh-rounder.
Apple started 10 games down the stretch of the 2018 NFL season with the Saints. He collected two interceptions and 52 tackles. With a combined 75 tackles, 14 pass deflections, and two interceptions, Apple had his most productive year while splitting time in New York and New Orleans.
The Saints kept Apple on for one more season. After the 2019 NFL season, Apple hit the free agency market, where he signed a short-term contract to join the Carolina Panthers. Apple would appear in just two games before landing on the injured reserve due to multiple lower-body injuries.
By October 2020, Apple was waived by the Panthers. During the following offseason, he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals on a one-year deal. He earned another contract after his first season with the Bengals. Apple wrapped up his tenure with the Bengals by producing 98 tackles and two interceptions.
The Bengals didn’t bring Apple back for a third season. Instead, the veteran cornerback packed up and moved to South Florida to join the Miami Dolphins on a one-year deal. He played in just 10 games for the Dolphins, starting in only four of them.
Last year, Apple started the 2024 NFL season as a free agent. In October, he was signed to the Los Angeles Chargers’ practice squad. One month later, he was brought up to the active roster. Eventually, he landed on the IR with a hamstring injury. Apple would produce just two tackles and one pass deflection on the Chargers.
The veteran defensive back will get an opportunity to bounce back with the 49ers. With nine years of experience, Apple has 102 games under his belt. His Giants tenure remains his most productive in the tackling department, as he totaled 123 tackles over three years.
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