Eli Apple

Veteran CB joined the Bengals as a free agent in March 2021 and originally was slated to add depth, but has started nearly every game over the past two seasons, including all seven postseason contests ... Played and started 15 games for AFC North champion Bengals in 2022, serving as the team's top CB in latter half of the season after Chidobe Awuzie suffered a season-ending injury ... Played in 16 regular-season games (15 starts) in 2021, then logged 21 tackles and three PDs in Cincinnati's postseason run to Super Bowl LVI ... Key figure in two of Bengals' signature defensive plays during 2021 playoff run — his batted pass late in fourth quarter of Divisional Playoff at Tennessee led to Logan Wilson's INT and set up game-winning FG, and his takedown of Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill at the one-yard line just before halftime of the AFC Championship kept the Bengals within 11 points at the break ... Former first-round draft pick of the N.Y. Giants in 2016, and later spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers ... Played collegiately at Ohio State, where he teamed with current Bengals S Vonn Bell to help Buckeyes to national championship in 2014 ... Played five games of 2018 season with the N.Y. Giants, where his position coach was current Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

Pro Career:

• Veteran CB joined the Bengals as a free agent in March 2021 and originally was slated to add depth, but has started nearly every game over the past two seasons, including all seven postseason contests ... Played and started 15 games for AFC North champion Bengals in 2022, serving as the team's top CB in latter half of the season after Chidobe Awuzie suffered a season-ending injury ... Played in 16 regular-season games (15 starts) in 2021, then logged 21 tackles and three PDs in Cincinnati's postseason run to Super Bowl LVI.
• Key figure in two of Bengals' signature defensive plays during 2021 playoff run — his batted pass late in fourth quarter of Divisional Playoff at Tennessee led to Logan Wilson's INT and set up game-winning FG, and his takedown of Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill at the one-yard line just before halftime of the AFC Championship kept the Bengals within 11 points at the break ... Former first-round draft pick of the N.Y. Giants in 2016, and later spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers
• Played collegiately at Ohio State, where he teamed with current Bengals S Vonn Bell to help Buckeyes to national championship in 2014 ... Played five games of 2018 season with the N.Y. Giants, where his position coach was current Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

Career Transactions:

• Selected by N.Y. Giants in first round of 2016 NFL Draft (10th overall) ... Signed with Giants on 5-6-16 ... Acquired by New Orleans in trade with Giants on 10-23-18 ... Saints contract expired on 3-18-20; became unrestricted free agent ... Not asked to re-sign; became free agent on 4-27-20 ... Signed with Carolina as free agent on 5-29-20 ... Contract terminated by Panthers on 10-27-20.
• Signed with Cincinnati as free agent on 3-23-21 ... Bengals contract expired on 3-16-22; became unrestricted free agent ... Re-signed with Bengals as unrestricted free agent on 3-19-22.

2022 Season:

• Played and started in 15 regular-season games and three postseason contests ... Led Bengals CBs in defensive snaps (908) and PDs (eight) during regular season ... Also recorded 49 tackles (35 solos), with one TFL ... Helped Cincinnati's defense allow a league-low 58.9 completion percentage and rank sixth in points allowed per game (20.1) ... Inactive on Oct. 31 at Cleveland due to a hamstring injury, but returned the following week on Nov. 6 vs. Carolina and posted two tackles and a PD ... Had four tackles and two PDs on Nov. 27 at Tennessee, including a pass breakup on third down in the second quarter that forced a Titans punt ... Tallied season-high seven tackles (five solos) and two PDs on Dec. 18 at Tampa Bay, and cemented Bengals win with a PD on two-point conversion attempt with less than a minute left in fourth quarter ... Had 18 tackles (six in each game; 15 solos), with one TFL and a PD in three postseason starts ... In Divisional Playoff at Buffalo, he broke up a pass to the end zone on fourth down from the Bengals' 16-yard line in the fourth quarter, thwarting a Bills' scoring opportunity.

Previous Seasons:

• 2021—Joined Bengals as free agent over the offseason and played in 16 regular-season games (15 starts), before starting all four postseason games in team's run to Super Bowl LVI ... Took over starting CB job in season opener while Trae Waynes sat out with an injury and maintained it the rest of the season ... His 979 defensive snaps were second-most on the team ... Totaled 49 tackles, two INTs (50 return yards) and 10 PDs during the regular season ... Intercepted QB Derek Carr late in the fourth quarter on Nov. 21 at Las Vegas, setting up a TD that widened Cincinnati's lead to 16 points ... On Nov. 28, intercepted QB Ben Roethlisberger on the Steelers' third offensive play to set up a Bengals FG drive ... With under a minute left and the score tied in the Divisional Playoff at Tennessee, he batted a Ryan Tannehill pass into the air, leading to a Logan Wilson INT that set up a game-winning FG drive ... Tackled Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill at the Bengals' one-yard line as time expired in the first half of the AFC Championship, keeping Cincinnati within 11 points ... Part of Bengals pass defense that in two wins over Kansas City (regular-season matchup on Jan. 2, and AFC Championship on Jan. 30) held the Chiefs' high-powered offense in the second halves and one overtime (AFC Championship) to a combined 66 passing yards and six points ... Played every defensive snap in Super Bowl LVI against the L.A. Rams, logging five tackles and a PD.
• 2020 (Panthers)—Played two games with Carolina, and recorded four tackles ... Released by Panthers on Oct. 27.
• 2019 (Saints)—Played and started 15 games for New Orleans, and recorded 58 tackles, four PDs and a FF ... Inactive for Saints' only postseason game.
• 2018 (Multiple Clubs)—Played and started five games for the N.Y. Giants, and recorded 22 tackles, five PDs, a FF and a FR ... Traded to New Orleans in October, and went on to play and start 10 games for the Saints while recording 52 tackles, nine PDs, two INTs and a FR ... On Nov. 11 at Cincinnati, intercepted an Andy Dalton pass in the fourth quarter to help set up a Saints TD ... Started both of New Orleans' playoff games (Divisional and NFC Championship), and recorded eight tackles and a PD.
• 2017 (Giants)—Played in 11 games (seven starts) for the Giants ... Recorded 49 tackles, eight PDs and two FRs.
• 2016 (Giants)—Played in 14 games (11 starts) as a rookie for the Giants ... Recorded 49 tackles, seven PDs, an INT, a FF and a FR ... Played in Giants' only playoff game, and recorded four tackles and a PD.

College:

• Spent three seasons (2013-15) at Ohio State, with a redshirt year in '13 ... Played in 28 career games (27 starts) in two seasons of action, and totaled 86 tackles, four INTs and 18 PDs ... Played in 15 games (14 starts) as a redshirt freshman on Ohio State's 2014 national championship team.

High School/Personal:

• Hometown is Voorhees, N.J. (outside Philadelphia) ... Attended Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees ... Considered one of the top recruits in nation, regardless of position, and played in the 2013 Army All-American Game ... Sports industry major at Ohio State.