Eli Apple takes victory lap after win, fires shot at Tyreek Hill
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple continued to make news after their win over the Chiefs on Sunday, taking a shot at receiver Tyreek Hill on Twitter. As the first half ended in the AFC Championship Game, Hill was stopped in the open field by Apple in a play that stopped the Chiefs from building a bigger lead before halftime.
Eli Apple trades words with Tyreek Hill
As Apple took to social media following the Bengals incredible comeback to clinch a Super Bowl berth, one fan shared a video of his huge solo tackle to end the first half. The fan said Apple had a game-winning play when he stopped Hill from scoring, as the Bengals likely wouldn’t have been able to come back from another touchdown.
“He’s a baby,” is all Apple said in response to the video while tagging Hill’s Twitter account in the message. Apple has drawn criticism plenty of times before on social media for antagonizing NFL fans in his trash talk, but the extra step of calling Hill’s attention to the comment definitely caught the star receiver’s attention. Hill responded in simple, yet cold fashion by telling Apple to say it directly to him instead of online.
“No Twitter beef big dog, just hit my line.”
Apple was drafted by the Giants with the `10th overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. In 2017, the Giants would suspend Apple for “conduct detrimental to the team” and eventually traded Apple to the Saints. After a season and a half with New Orleans, the Saints chose not to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal and parted ways with him.
In 2020, Apple signed with the Carolina Panthers but only appeared in two games all season. This year, Apple has found a spot on a successful team making a championship run. With two interceptions and 49 tackles during the regular season, Apple has found a role to play on a Cincinnati defense that has held two playoff opponents to under 20 points this postseason, as well as earning a trip to the Super Bowl.