49ers CB's release a reminder of how impressive Bengals Super Bowl LVI run was

Do you like apples? Well, the Cincinnati Bengals nearly won a datgum Super Bowl with Eli Apple starting at cornerback. How do you like THEM apples!?

As we hurtle towards the start of the preseason and inevitable roster cuts transpire en masse here soon, it's impossible for fans to ignore players on the chopping block who used to play for their favorite team.

Apple has changed his stripes many a time, and that trend continued on Thursday. Before we get into that, though, how about dispelling a notion? Given how much young corners like DJ Turner have showed out at Bengals camp, no, I don't envision Apple returning to Cincinnati.

Bengals Super Bowl starter Eli Apple released by San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers announced that they had to make a roster move to add depth to their defensive line. Unfortunately, that came at Eli Apple's expense.

Wasn't long ago that some Bengals fans were saluting Apple as he quested to continue his NFL journey in the Bay Area.

Welp, that was short-lived! Not a supreme shock, given that Apple appeared in only four games for the Los Angeles Chargers last season and 10 the year before in Miami, including a mere four starts.

Kind of a bummer for Eli to get an early birthday turd sandwich like this. He's turning 30 this Saturday, and will be searching for a spot with an eighth different NFL team — barring a reunion with one of his former clubs.

The most meaningful chunk of Apple's career came in Cincinnati during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He was a full-time starter not only on that Super Bowl LVI team, but again when the Bengals reached the AFC Championship Game.

Much of the discourse about the Bengals' most recent postseason success deservedly revolves around Joe Burrow overcoming awful offensive line play to lead the team to franchise-altering victories. That tends to overshadow just how well the defense played in many of those wins.

When it comes to the defensive backfield, I'll always remember the exceptional safety play from Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell most of all.

Granted, Apple's role as an NFL cornerback has only diminished since those glory days, in large part due to the fact that he wasn't a high-caliber player even when he was starting all the time. The former 10th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State hasn't lived up to that gaudy status.

If we go off of Pro Football Focus grades, — not the end-all, be-all, but a solid measure of performance — Apple hasn't ranked higher than the 61st-best CB among 116 qualifiers in 2019. In his two seasons in Orange and Black, he ranked 71st and 96th respectively.

It's not totally fair to brutalize Apple three full seasons out from his Cincinnati stint. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but think about the fact that he was starting for the Bengals on that Super Bowl squad, which lost 23-20 to the Los Angeles Rams in The Big Game. As you can see in the primary image choice for this article, Apple was matched up one-on-one with Triple Crown-winning receiver Cooper Kupp on his game-winning touchdown catch.

I fully believe in Al Golden as the new defensive coordinator. However, it goes to show what a killer job Lou Anarumo did in calling the shots with a liability like Apple on the boundary of his secondary.

Eli Apple is a supreme athlete who talks a big game and has infectious enthusiasm. The issue is, he's never really backed all that up on the field with sustained excellence.

We'll see if he gets another shot at sticking on a roster. If there are teams looking to add veteran experience and depth to their cornerback room, Apple could be useful in that type of role.

More Bengals News and Analysis