I bet this is a twist you didn’t expect. Eli Apple, one of the most hated New York Giants of the last decade, is back in the headlines, and he’s set to join his seventh NFL team. On Sunday afternoon, the 2016 first-rounder signed a one-year deal to join the San Francisco 49ers.
If you’re a Giants fan, this name should send a shiver down your spine, because calling his time in the Big Apple a disaster wouldn’t be doing it justice. Whether it was the constant blown coverages, the disciplinary benchings, or the infamous “he’s a cancer” quote from Landon Collins, Apple quickly fell out of favor in East Rutherford.
The former Ohio State standout went from promising prospect to persona non grata in East Rutherford faster than you could say “draft bust." Things got so toxic that Big Blue sent him to New Orleans after just three seasons. Since then, he has bounced around the league, suiting up in Carolina, Cincinnati, Miami, and Los Angeles.
So when ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news, Giants’ Twitter had a field day. They reacted with a collection of memes, PTSD flashbacks, and a collective sigh of relief that guy is a thing of the past.
But while it’s easy to poke fun at Apple’s journeyman career, adding another destination, his name popping up again, is actually a perfect reminder of just how far this franchise has come.
Eli Apple’s 49ers signing reminds the Giants that they’re headed in the right direction
When debating the biggest Giants draft whiffs of the 2010s, Apple and Ereck Flowers are the first names that come to mind. Both guys were selected in the top 10, yet neither could earn a second contract in New York.
They became symbols of the Giants’ dark ages — a stretch in the mid-to-late 2010s defined by dysfunction, poor roster construction, and a front office (under Jerry Reese and Dave Gettleman) that couldn’t get out of its own way. It was an era that most fans have tried to scrub from their memory.
But evidently, that chapter is closed as of 2025. The G-Men have done a complete 180 over the last few seasons under Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen.
There’s structure now. There’s cohesion. There’s a plan. And more than anything, there’s a belief again that a respectable product will take the field on Sundays.
Malik Nabers looks like a future superstar. The Apple-free secondary is showing promise. And Abdul Carter has been a wrecking ball in camp, so just imagine that defensive line in game action.
Russell Wilson might not be the vintage Russ we saw in Seattle, but if training camp has been any indication, the 36-year-old has still got it. His deep ball looks pristine as ever and looks like a more than capable bridge option until Jaxson Dart is ready for NFL action.
The 29-year-old’s move to the Bay serves as a time capsule, reminding many of how far this team has come. So don’t focus on what he’s doing in defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense: this is a guy who logged just two tackles as a Charger.
Just enjoy what’s being built now, because a direction is something this team never had 10 years ago.