The Giants have finally had enough of their Bad Apple.
Eli Apple, the second-year cornerback mired myriad on-the-field and off-the-field issues, was suspended Wednesday for the final week of the season, including the season finale Sunday against the Redskins at MetLife Stadium.
Apple was informed of the suspension during an afternoon meeting with interim general manager Kevin Abrams and interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo.
“We have suspended Eli for a pattern of behavior that is conduct detrimental to the team,” Abrams said.
That pattern of behavior continued to spiral out of control, as a source confirmed to The Post that Apple refused to take the field with the scout team during practice Wednesday, insubordination that led to an argument with assistant coaches and pulled the trigger on the suspension.
A day after safety Landon Collins went on the radio and called Apple a “cancer’’ that needs to be removed from the team, the Giants listened. Before he was informed of the suspension, Apple milled around his locker after practice Wednesday and refused to speak with members of the media. He walked away saying, “I gotta take a s—t.’’
Not long after that crude exit, the Giants announced the suspension. Apple, 22, became the third cornerback hit with a suspension this season, joining Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins.
Apple will lose $66,984 for missing the one game during the suspension. He will not be around the team facility the remainder of the week. He is in the second year of a four-year, $15.1 million rookie contract that was fully guaranteed. This suspension could nullify some of the guaranteed money, if the Giants are inclined to force the issue.
This is a dramatic fall for Apple, the No. 10 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, an athletic cornerback from Ohio State who had an up-and-down, but generally promising rookie season. Year No. 2 has been a disaster, so much so that Collins ripped his teammate Tuesday with uncommon harshness.
Asked on 98.7 ESPN Radio how he would advise the new general manager about the defensive backfield, Collins said, “There’s one corner that has to establish [himself] and needs to grow, and we all know who that is. That would be the only person I would change out of our secondary group. Besides the other two guys — DRC and Jackrabbit — I love those two guys. They play hard. They love what they do. But, that first pick … he’s a cancer.”
Spagnuolo said Wednesday he met privately with Collins, then with Apple and then with both players.
“All three of us had a really good conversation and it was very productive and I’ll just leave it at that,’’ Spagnuolo said. “It’s between them and they were really great.”
Asked if he thought Apple and Collins could co-exist as teammates in the future, Spagnuolo said “based on what I was part of this morning, I would say absolutely.’’
At the time Spagnuolo spkoe, the decision had not been made to suspend Apple.
A day after calling Apple “a cancer’’ Collins took to Twitter to apologize:
“I met with Coach Spags and Eli this morning and I apologized for the things I said yesterday. I never stop supporting my brother/teammate Eli and the rest of my teammates as we move forward. Just want him to know I’m always here for him.’’
Apple was active this past weekend against Arizona but did not get on the field on defense, playing only seven snaps on special teams. While the defense was on the field, Apple was often seated on the bench, not engaged in the game. That particularly irked the Giants.
Collins, the third-year safety, tried to warn the Giants about Apple. Two weeks ago, Apple came close to calling Collins a liar after Collins said he and other teammates engaged in “sit-downs’’ with Apple “multiple times’’ trying to help guide him through this difficult season. A day later, Apple said Collins had never reached out to him.
Apple has devolved into a symbol of everything that has gone wrong for the Giants, who are 2-13 heading into the season finale Sunday against the Redskins. Apple was benched for the first three defensive series against the Chargers because of poor practice habits.
Sources told The Post that Apple twice threatened to walk out of the team facility after hearing coaches and teammates rip him for not hustling in a game against the 49ers. Apple was not active in the 30-10 loss to the Cowboys, but attracted the ire of teammates by tweeting during the game, a violation of NFL rules. Apple re-tweeted a post from an Ohio State fan site lauding Rod Smith’s 81-yard touchdown reception against the Giants. Apple and Smith were college teammates.
Apple’s mother had successful brain surgery during the season, causing him to miss practice time. He was inactive for four consecutive games – a healthy scratch – but played 60 of the 68 defensive snaps in a Dec. 17 loss to the Eagles. Apple has been banished and the question is if it is for now, or for good.