For New York Giants fans, every football season for the last few years has included a "Where's Eli Apple?" update at 1 point or another.
Maybe, after 2026 and Apple's latest release, we might finally be at the end of that road — he was cut loose by the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday as part of the NFL's 53-man roster cutdowns.
"Notable names waived/released today … CB Eli Apple," ESPN's Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account.
The actual surprise for some was that Apple was still, somehow, on an NFL roster.
"Woah woah woah…..Eli Apple???? He is still playing????" Saints fan Chris "Murph" Anderson wrote on X .
"Eli Apple is still floating around??" Mitty's Wallet wrote on X .
"Eli Apple was in somebody's camp?!" Ducky Hines wrote on X .
Apple became one of the most polarizing first-round draft picks in Giants history when he was selected No. 10 overall in 2016, only to be traded to the New Orleans Saints midway through the 2018 season.
Since 2018, Apple has also played for the Carolina Panthers , Cincinnati Bengals , Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers .
"Fun fact: apparent Eli Apple is still on the 49ers," 49ers Hub's Evan Sowards wrote on X on August 3.
We can say now, with history as our guide, that it would have been interesting to see how Apple's career may have played out save for the interference of 1 person in his life — his mother, Annie Apple.
From the moment her son was drafted, Annie Apple's constant push to carve out her own slice of fame — and her outspoken criticisms on social media of Giants ownership and people who dared criticize her son — cast a constant pall over his every step.
After an average rookie season in 2016 in which he started 11 of 15 games, Apple's play cratered in 2017 — along with his standing on the team.
One day after Giants safety Landon Collins called Apple a locker room "cancer" in an interview with ESPN New York, Apple was suspended for the Giants ' 2017 regular-season finale against Washington.
"The New York Giants suspended cornerback Eli Apple for one game for 'a pattern of behavior that is conduct detrimental to the team," ESPN's Jordan Ranaan wrote on December 27, 2017. "The ban came during an eventful Wednesday that included a confrontation with coaches at practice … an argument ensued in part because Apple, a former first-round pick, was again working with the scout team. Words were exchanged between the embattled second-year player and cornerbacks coach Tim Walton, and Apple had to be restrained by teammates. He later declined to talk during an open locker room period with the media."
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