Eli Apple clearly hasn't learned anything

Love him or hate him, Eli Apple is going to continue his trash-talking ways whether he backs it up or not. Apple spoke for the first time since the Cincinnati Bengals' 23-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and said that “I’ll talk my biggest trash. Whether I back it up or don’t, it doesn’t matter. It’s a game to me. It’s something I love to do. No matter what anybody on the outside has to say.”

Has Apple learned nothing?

This time last year, Apple was having a blast bragging to Chiefs wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman that he'd be participating in the Super Bowl while they'd be watching from home. Apple talked a lot of trash all week long so when he got cooked by Cooper Kupp and surrendered what would be the game-winning touchdown, you could say that he got what was coming to him. People memed him all off-season long.

That didn't stop Apple from talking smack this season but he really reved it up in the playoffs. There was the coin flip signage and, of course, "Cancun on 3".

While Apple wasn't bad in the AFC Championship Game, he still received the brunt of the roasting on Twitter because he's usually the one starting everything in the first place. His holding penalty also nearly broke the internet.

Eli Apple vows to continue his trash-talking ways no matter what

Apple is a free agent this offseason so this probably isn't the kind of message he should be sending teams. The former first-round pick didn't have many options in last year's free agency because of the things he says and that led him back to Cincinnati. I could see the same thing happening this offseason as well because the Bengals are used to his antics by now.

Spotrac projects Apple to earn a two-year deal in free agency worth $23 million with an annual salary of $11.6 million and that might be more money than Cincinnati is willing to pay Apple, especially considering they already have Cam Taylor-Britt ready to rock with Chidobe Awuzie, who should be returning from injury.

It's a little disappointing that this is Apple's response to all of this but at the same time, he's now let teams know that he is who he is. No one can pretend to be surprised when he starts this up all over again next year.