49ers Terminate Contract of Former First-Round Pick

The San Francisco 49ers have again parted ways with veteran cornerback Eli Apple, releasing the former first-round pick as they trimmed their roster to 53 players for the 2026 season.

Apple was among a large group of veterans cut on August 30 as San Francisco finalized its opening-day roster. The move came just 18 days after the team brought him back on a one-year contract.

Earlier in camp, the 49ers had waived Apple on August 2, then re-signed him on August 12 along with defensive lineman Xavier Thomas and running back Zamir White.

The on-again, off-again relationship with San Francisco dates to 2025. Apple first signed with the 49ers in late July of that year, was released 10 days later, and later returned on the practice squad.

He appeared in two regular-season games and recorded one special-teams tackle. In January 2026 the team signed him to a reserve/future deal, giving him another chance to compete for a roster spot this summer.

Apple entered the league with far higher expectations. The New York Giants selected him 10th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, where he helped win a national championship and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.

At 6-foot-1, he offered length and speed that made him one of the highest-drafted defensive backs in his class.

His NFL career never fully matched that pedigree. After two-plus seasons in New York, Apple was traded to the New Orleans Saints in 2018. He later played for the Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, and Los Angeles Chargers before landing in San Francisco.

Over 10 seasons, he has appeared in 104 games with 82 starts, totaling 380 tackles, 61 passes defensed, six interceptions, seven fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles. He also started 11 of 12 career playoff games.

At 31, Apple was competing for a depth role in a crowded 49ers secondary. His latest one-year deal carried little guaranteed money, making the cut a low-cost roster decision. San Francisco ultimately preferred younger or more recently acquired options at corner.

The release does not necessarily end Apple’s career. Veterans with starting experience and playoff snaps often find work later in the season as injuries mount.

For now, though, the former No. 10 pick is a free agent again after another short stay in the Bay Area.

The 49ers’ secondary picture is clearer heading into Week 1, while Apple looks for his next opportunity after a decade of bouncing among seven NFL teams.