The San Francisco 49ers are moving on from veteran cornerback Eli Apple before their first preseason game.
San Francisco announced on August 2 that it waived Apple while making a series of training-camp roster moves. The former No. 10 overall draft pick had been competing for a reserve role in a cornerback room that entered camp with several younger and more recently acquired options.
It is the second consecutive summer in which Apple has been released by the 49ers during training camp.
Apple first joined San Francisco on July 28, 2025, but the team released him 10 days later. He subsequently returned on the practice squad and remained with the organization through the end of the season. The 49ers then signed him to a reserve/future contract on January 20, giving him another opportunity to compete for a 2026 roster spot.
That second opportunity has again ended before the preseason.
Eli Apple Faced Crowded 49ers Cornerback Competition
Apple, 30, was not expected to challenge Deommodore Lenoir or Renardo Green for a starting job. His clearest path to the roster involved securing one of the final backup positions and potentially contributing on special teams.
The numbers were working against him.
San Francisco added veterans Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs during the offseason, while Upton Stout returned after establishing himself in the secondary as a rookie. An offseason roster projection from the “San Francisco Chronicle” placed Lenoir, Green, Stout, Jones, Hobbs and Ephesians Prysock on the initial 53-man roster while listing Apple among the projected cuts.
Apple did make at least one notable play early in camp. The 49ers credited him with an interception during their second practice, while Jones, Stout and Green each recorded pass breakups. His early production was not enough to keep him in the competition.
Waiving Apple this early gives San Francisco more practice and preseason opportunities to evaluate cornerbacks who could have a longer-term future with the organization. It also suggests that the team is comfortable proceeding with its other veteran additions and developing options rather than retaining Apple strictly for experience.
Apple’s Contract Carried No Guaranteed Money
The 49ers made the move without taking on a significant financial consequence.
Apple’s one-year contract carried a reported value of $1.3 million with no fully guaranteed money, according to Over the Cap. His scheduled salary-cap charge was approximately $1.075 million. Because the agreement contained no guaranteed salary, San Francisco maintained flexibility to release him if he fell behind in the roster competition.
Apple entered the NFL as the New York Giants’ 10th overall selection in the 2016 draft. He has since played for the Giants, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers and 49ers.
Across nine NFL seasons, Apple has appeared in 102 games and made 82 starts. He has recorded 380 tackles, 61 passes defensed, six interceptions, seven fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.
That experience could generate interest from another team if injuries emerge around the league during camp. For now, however, Apple is again looking for an opportunity after failing to make it through a full training camp with San Francisco.
For the 49ers, his departure makes the shape of the cornerback competition clearer. The remaining preseason snaps can now be concentrated among players with a stronger chance of making the final roster, and Apple’s second consecutive August exit indicates that San Francisco no longer viewed him as one of them.
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