Getty Former Bills star LeSean McCoy (L) absolutely rips Bengals cornerback Eli Apple (R) for his unearned trash talk against Buffalo.
Following the Buffalo Bills‘ 27-10 loss to Cincinnati in the AFC Divisional round, Bengals cornerback Eli Apple went on a tirade on Twitter, ripping quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs for their lackluster performance, and took what many people considered a step too far by involving Damar Hamlin in a classless joke.
During an appearance on the “I Am Athlete” podcast on Friday, January 27, retired NFL star LeSean McCoy defended the Bills against Apple’s trash talk by eviscerating the 27-year-old in an epic rant, a video of which garnered over 860,000 views overnight. While McCoy is a big fan of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, he feels Apple is out his league with such disparaging remarks.
McCoy was discussing how much trash talk Pat Beverley speaks, but the former Bills running back, who played for the franchise between 2015 and 2018, said he can “respect” the Lakers point guard because the journeyman at least earned NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2017.
“Eli Apple was the 10th pick in the first round and year seven he’s been on four teams?” McCoy said. “They’re different. He’s got no All-Pros, he’s got zero Pro Bowls. I mean, he can barely pick his own number. They’re different levels of ball players.”
“That’s how bad you gotta be,” the six-time Pro Bowler added. “You’re the 10th pick in the first round, and the second year they get rid of you? The second year?”
“He got no All-Pro’s. He got ZERO Pro-Bowls. He barely can pick his own number.”
Shady McCoy wasn’t a fan of Sauce Gardner’s Eli Apple/Pat Bev comparison 😬
🎙️: t.co/DXC5LPXeax
Apple was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, as McCoy described, but the Ohio State alum wasn’t traded until shortly after the start of his third season with the franchise. The Giants tried to have a “clean slate” with Apple in 2018 after tensions grew between him and his teammates, along with the coaching staff. However, the Giants ultimately shipped Apple off to the New Orleans Saints in October 2018 in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick and a 2020 seventh-round pick.
After two seasons with the Saints, he had a very brief stint Carolina Panthers before signing a one-year deal with the Bengals in 2021, during which he recorded a total of 49 tackles, two interceptions, and 10 passes deflected throughout the regular season and playoff run to the Super Bowl. The Bengals re-signed Apple to a one-year, $3.7 million contract for the 2022 NFL Season.
Former Bengals CB Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones Reacted to McCoy’s Rant
GettyFormer NFL player Adam “Pacman” Jones speaks during an interview on SiriusXM At Super Bowl LVI on February 11, 2022.
While Bills Mafia loved seeing “Shady” take down the Bills’ biggest troll, other NFL fans took it as an opportunity to take shots at the 34-year-old. Former Bengals star Adam “Pacman” Jones retweeted the viral clip and wrote, “Shaaaaaaady gotta chilllllll💀,” which is a rich statement considering the retired All-Pro cornerback absolutely trashed Allen during a podcast appearance ahead of the Bills-Bengals AFC Showdown.
Apple has yet to respond to McCoy’s remarks. The veteran seems to have taken a break from Twitter ahead of the Bengals-Chiefs AFC Championship game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, January 29. He hasn’t tweeted since January 25.
Apple Clapped Back at Shaq Lawson’s Threat
GettyShaq Lawson #90 of the Buffalo Bills reacts against the Cleveland Browns at Ford Field on November 20, 2022.
Hamlin’s No. 3 jersey number and his heart-shaped hands gesture became a message of hope amid the safety’s remarkable recovery after he suffered cardiac arrest at Paycor Stadium and Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson sent a strong threat to Apple on January 24 to keep his teammate’s name out of the Bengals cornerback’s mouth.
Lawson tweeted, “You played a good game @EliApple but disrespect my boy @HamlinIsland situation that s*** get you beat up frfr. Keep it on the field.”
Apple explained shortly afterward that he had no ill will toward Hamlin. He tweeted, “All love thoughts prayers and concerns to @HamlinIsland as he continues to recover from that tragic incident. Never would I make light of that scary unfortunate scene. This game is truly a dangerous risk to our bodies mind and spirit. Nothing but love to all my football brothers.”
But Apple didn’t take a break from Twitter before clapping back at Lawson’s warning.
Apple wrote, “A shame you couldn’t keep that same energy on the field maybe the outcome would’ve been different 🤷🏿♂️ enjoy Mexico wit the homies.”