Panthers release cornerback Eli Apple, who had variety of injuries all season
The Carolina Panthers have released cornerback Eli Apple.
Apple left practice early Tuesday after communicating with coaches that he could not participate due to his hamstring injury. The cornerback has appeared in two games this season, including Sunday’s Week 7 loss at the New Orleans Saints.
“He just didn’t feel like he could go, so we sent him inside for treatment,” head coach Matt Rhule said Tuesday. “Some of our guys, sometimes it’s better just to have guys inside getting treatment and trying to get them as close as possible.”
However, Apple’s release was not solely due to the injuries that have followed him this season, although they did limit his playing time and availability.
A team spokesperson confirmed that Apple signed documentation Tuesday verifying that he was not injured at the time of his release, as is customary.
“I don’t want to say I’m 100%, but I do feel a lot better than I’ve been feeling this whole year,” Apple said after the loss to the Saints. “Just about taking care of my body moving forward and doing what I can to stay on the field.”
Apple, 25, played 40% of the defensive snaps as part of a cornerback rotation with rookie Troy Pride Jr. against the Saints. Apple had played six special teams snaps in the win over the Cardinals in Week 4 before suffering his most recent hamstring injury.
He was a full participant in Monday’s practice with the hamstring designation.
During training camp, Apple dealt with an injury to his other hamstring, a foot injury and an ankle injury. He spent the first four weeks of the season on injured reserve with his injuries before returning in Week 4. He was ruled out of both Week 5 and 6 due to the most recent hamstring injury.
“It’s frustrating of course (to deal with injuries). It’s a long journey to get here and of course you don’t want to go out being hurt and stuff,” Apple said Sunday. “It’s frustrating.”
Consistency at corner has been an issue for the Panthers this season due to a variety of injures. Rasul Douglas is on the reserve/COVID-19 list and Donte Jackson has dealt with a toe injury, although Rhule says he considers him “back to full strength.”
Pride and nickel corner Corn Elder round out the position for the Panthers. Rookie Stan Thomas-Oliver is also available, although he has solely been a special teams contributor.
“I thought (the cornerbacks) played fine. I have to watch the tape to see more,” Rhule said after the loss to New Orleans. “We tried to play Eli (Apple) and at one point he went down and then came back up. Nothing beyond just rotating them and feeling like he was going to play well and getting him into the game.”
Apple was signed to a one-year deal this offseason, including $750,000 guaranteed. He has never played a full 16-game season.and the Panthers will incur a dead cap hit of $2,781,250.
He is in his fifth NFL season after being drafted by the New York Giants 10th overall in the 2016 NFL draft out of Ohio State. He was traded to the Saints in 2018 and spent a year and a half in New Orleans before being signed by the Panthers this offseason after a contract with the Las Vegas Raiders did not work out.
The team also released veteran wide receiver Seth Roberts on Monday. The Panthers=09 have among the most dead cap money in the NFL this season, now over $50 million.
This story was originally published October 27, 2020 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Panthers release cornerback Eli Apple, who had variety of injuries all season."
