Bengals free agency prediction and fan poll: Eli Apple

The ultimate wild card is once again seeking another chance.

When NFL historians look back at the uprising of the Cincinnati Bengals, they’ll notice Eli Apple of all people was in the center of it.

Yes, that Eli Apple.

When it was rumored that the Bengals were interested in signing the former first-round pick back in 2021, many fans scoffed at the idea. Apple had been with three other teams with minimal success and, in some cases, burned bridges to smithereens.

Despite all odds, Cincinnati became the place where Apple would begin settling down—on the field, that is.

It hasn’t been amazing by any measuring stick, but solid cornerback play is solid cornerback play. That’s what Apple has provided more often than not in his two years with the Bengals. And it’s often come at unexpected times, whether via injury replacement, or against notable competition.

On top of this is how Apple has embraced the Queen City more than any of his previous stops combined. He likes playing here, with this defense, under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. He fits here, the question is if the Bengals see the same.

Chidobe Awuzie and Cam Taylor-Britt are your projected starting cornerbacks for 2023, and there’s a high probability the Bengals draft another one early next month. Will Apple want to return as a reserve after starting games in the last two playoff runs? That may ultimately depend if any other team wants to deal with him and his Twitter charades, which often overshadow the product he’s putting on tape.

Will the Bengals re-sign Eli Apple?

Prediction: No

What say you? Let us know in the poll below and in the comments section!

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