Around the NFL, former New York Giants first-round draft pick and current Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple still has a lot of enemies. At the moment, his most prominent adversary might be Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
While speaking with reporters in the locker room following Miami’s 21-19 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Hill was informed that the Dolphins will play the Bengals on Thursday Night Football in Week 4. That’s when Hill delivered his now-viral message to Apple.
Via Yianni Kourakis of ABC 25 WPBF on Twitter:
“I can’t wait to go against Eli Apple, man,” Hill said. “I owe you, boy. I owe you. I’m here. The Cheetah is here.”
Hill, who was traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Dolphins this offseason, is off to a hot start with his new team. He currently ranks third in the NFL with 317 receiving yards, trailing only Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs (344) and his own teammate Jaylen Waddle (342). Hill has two touchdowns this season and leads the league with six receptions of 20-plus yards.
Hill’s beef with Apple dates back to last January’s AFC Championship. Although Hill had seven catches for 78 yards and a touchdown in that game, his Chiefs lost 27-24 in overtime and one of the most memorable plays was Apple stopping Hill short of the end zone right before halftime.
After that game, Apple quote-tweeted a clip of his tackle and called Hill a “baby.”
This elicited a response from Hill on Twitter.
No Twitter beef big dog just hit my line
“No Twitter beef big dog just hit my line,” Hill wrote on January 30.
Later that same night, Apple sent another tweet offering Super Bowl tickets to Hill and his former teammate Mecole Hardman (who is still on the Chiefs).
Aye @MecoleHardman4 @cheetah dm me yall number and I’ll hook yall up wit them super bowl tickets on me 🤞🏿
“Aye [Mecole Hardman] [Tyreek Hill] dm me yall number and I’ll hook yall up wit them super bowl tickets on me [fingers crossed emoji],” Apple wrote.
Apple then went on to give up two touchdown receptions, including the game-winner, to Los Angeles Rams wide receiver and eventual Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp.
While Hill is tearing it up with his new team, the month of September has been a bit of a struggle for Apple. His Bengals are 1-2 on the season, and he currently ranks 60th among all NFL cornerbacks with an overall grade of 58.6 (out of 100) at Pro Football Focus.
Hill, a six-time Pro Bowler, has the potential for an explosive performance on Thursday night.
Years Later, Eli Apple Still Hates Giants Fans
The Giants selected Eli Apple with the 10th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and he only lasted two-and-a-half seasons with the team. Although he and the Giants parted ways nearly four years ago, he still has some disdain for the New York fan base to this day.
“[I don’t know] which fan base I hate more [thinking emoji] prolly the saints but it’s close wit the giants it’s a toss up,” Apple tweeted last January.
In 2017, former Giants safety Landon Collins publicly called Apple “a cancer” in the locker room. This summer, Apple told Sports Illustrated that his time with the Giants was the “low” of his NFL career.
Eli Apple Has a Rare Lowlight Compilation on YouTube
If you still hate Eli Apple as much as he still hates Giants fans, then this next video might be for you. After Cincinnati’s loss in the Super Bowl, one savvy video editor compiled nearly six minutes of Apple getting burned in coverage.
This video has over 160,000 views on YouTube, illustrating how much Apple is disliked by multiple NFL fan bases.
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Tyreek Hill Calls Out Former Giants 1st-Round Draft Pick [WATCH]