Bengals cornerback Eli Apple has been the punch line to countless jabs and jokes for his performance in Super Bowl LVI. But in an Instagram post, Apple says he'll be back and better than ever in 2022.
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“All Glory To God For Blessing Me Immensely This Season To Share the Field With The Best Group Of Men Ive Been Around,” Apple said in the post. “Truly Grateful To My Teammates, Who Dey Nation, And My Coaches for Embracing Me As Family. Proud of The Rigorous Work We Put In To Make This Season A Special One. Yall ReAwoke A Fire In Me That Will Only Make Me Stronger and Im Beyond Excited To Unleash That Demon Again to Exponential Levels On Any Opp That Lines Up Across From Me Next Season.”
The picture in the post appears to be Apple with a bottle in his hand and wearing a robe as he leaves SoFi Stadium after the 23–20 loss Sunday to the Rams. Apple was roasted mercilessly on social media after he gave up the game-winning touchdown to Cooper Kupp. But not just by random fans online.
NFL players including Michael Thomas, Mecole Hardman Jr., C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Rashod Bateman, Marquise Brown and even Lamar Jackson took some shots at Apple. Pictures of burnt toast and cigarettes, making fun of Apple for repeatedly getting burnt and smoked, respectively, were all over Twitter.
The cornerback has burned a lot of bridges in the past, and he is not exactly beloved by former teammates or fans of other franchises. In January, Apple said he hated Giants and Saints fans—two fan bases of his former teams—and continued to trade jabs with them on Twitter. And in 2017 while playing for New York, Landon Collins referred to him as a “cancer,” and he was eventually suspended by the team for a “pattern of behavior that is conduct detrimental to the team.”
Apple is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but his post suggests he has his eyes set on returning to Cincinnati.
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