The San Francisco 49ers are moving on from veteran cornerback Eli Apple , again.
San Francisco announced on August 30 that Apple was among the veteran players released as the 49ers constructed their initial roster for the 2026 season. Apple, the No. 10 overall pick by the New York Giants in the 2016 NFL draft, had been brought back by the 49ers less than three weeks earlier.
It is the second time this month the 49ers have parted ways with Apple.
San Francisco waived Apple on August 2 before re-signing him to a one-year contract on August 12. His latest departure came as part of a much larger roster reduction ahead of the regular season, with the 49ers releasing 14 veterans and waiving another 19 players.
Apple's release also provides some clarity in a crowded San Francisco secondary as the team prepares for Week 1.
Apple's on-and-off relationship with the 49ers dates back to the 2025 season.
San Francisco initially signed Apple to a one-year contract in July 2025. He ultimately appeared in two games for the 49ers that season, recording one special-teams tackle, according to the team's official biography.
The 49ers later signed Apple to a reserve/future contract in January 2026, keeping the veteran cornerback in the organization for another offseason.
That arrangement appeared to end when San Francisco waived him on August 2.
It didn't last long.
Ten days later, the 49ers announced that Apple had returned on another one-year agreement as the team continued reshuffling its roster during training camp. San Francisco also signed defensive lineman Xavier Thomas and running back Zamir White in the same transaction.
Apple then survived until the final round of roster decisions before the 49ers released him again on August 30.
For a 31-year-old veteran with extensive starting experience, the moves illustrate the precarious nature of competing for a depth role late in an NFL career.
Apple brought considerably more NFL experience than several of the cornerbacks competing with him.
The former Ohio State standout has played in 104 regular-season games with 82 starts during a career that has included stops with the Giants, New Orleans Saints , Carolina Panthers , Cincinnati Bengals , Miami Dolphins , Los Angeles Chargers and 49ers.
Apple has accumulated 380 tackles, 61 passes defensed and six interceptions, according to the 49ers. He also has extensive postseason experience, appearing in 12 playoff games with 11 starts.
But San Francisco ultimately went with other options in its secondary.
The 49ers' initial roster lists Deommodore Lenoir , Siran Neal , Nate Hobbs , Renardo Green , Upton Stout , Jack Jones and rookie Ephesians Prysock among the team's cornerbacks and defensive backs.
Lenoir is one of the established members of that group, while Green and Stout return after playing for San Francisco last season. The 49ers also added Hobbs and Jones during the offseason and selected Prysock in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Apple's experience therefore wasn't enough to earn him one of those spots.
Apple entered the NFL with significantly different expectations.
The Giants selected the Ohio State cornerback with the No. 10 overall selection in 2016, making him one of the highest-drafted defensive backs in his class.
His tenure in New York lasted fewer than three full seasons.
The Giants traded Apple to the Saints during the 2018 season, beginning a lengthy run around the league that later took him to Carolina, Cincinnati, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
One of the most substantial stretches of his post-Giants career came with the Bengals. Apple started during Cincinnati's run to Super Bowl LVI following the 2021 season and remained with the team in 2022.
Now, a decade after being selected in the top 10, Apple is looking for his next opportunity after failing to make San Francisco's initial roster.
Considering how frequently the 49ers have brought Apple back over the past year, another reunion can't be completely ruled out if the team needs veteran depth later in the season.
For now, however, San Francisco has made its choice at the roster deadline — and Apple is on the outside for the second time in August.
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