Landon Collins: Eli Apple a “cancer” for Giants

Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins on Tuesday dropped the worst insult one player can hand to another, especially a teammate, when he referred to New York Giants’ second-year cornerback Eli Apple as “a cancer.”

Here is the full quote, which Collins uttered during an appearance on ‘The Michael Kay Show.’

"There is only one corner who needs to grow up and we all know who that is," said Collins, one of the more popular players in the Giants locker room. "That would be the only person I would change out of our secondary group. Besides, the other two guys, [Rodgers-Cromarie] and [Jenkins], I love those two guys. They play hard. They love what they do.

"That first pick ... he's a cancer."

Collins and Apple have been bickering publicly for the past couple of weeks. Collins said he was among teammates who has approached Apple to try and help him deal with a difficult season. Apple responded by basically calling Collins, a Pro Bowl safety and a young leader in the Giants’ locker room, a liar.

NJ Advance Media recently detailed how family strife has impacted the 22-year-old Apple this season.

Apple has been benched this season for disciplinary reasons, called out by coaches and teammates for lack of effort vs. the San Francisco 49ers, inactive for four straight games after the 49ers debacle and didn’t play a single defensive snap Sunday aginst the Arizona Cardinals.

With Collins, the cornerstone of the secondary and the best player on defense, basically calling for his ouster it is fair to wonder if Apple has any future with the Giants beyond Sunday’s season finale against the Washington Redskins.