Eli Apple has finally found his NFL home for the 2020 season.
The former Ohio State cornerback has agreed to a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers, the team announced Thursday. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the one-year deal is worth $3 million with a $750,000 signing bonus.
After initially agreeing to a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders during the opening week of free agency in March, that deal fell through, and Apple's free-agent wait lasted much longer than expected as a result. Now, though, he'll be joining the Panthers, who were in need of another veteran cornerback after losing James Bradberry to the New York Giants.
Signing with Carolina means Apple will be staying in the NFC South, as he spent the past two seasons with the New Orleans Saints after beginning his NFL career with the Giants. He'll be reuniting with two of his former Ohio State teammates who are also with the Panthers, Curtis Samuel and Branden Bowen, but could now face two matchups a year with Michael Thomas after playing with him for the past two years.
The No. 10 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Apple has started 48 games in his first four NFL seasons.
