New York Giants suspend Eli Apple for final week of NFL season

The New York Giants have suspended cornerback Eli Apple for the final week of the regular season.

Apple was notified of his suspension on Wednesday in a meeting with interim general manager Kevin Abrams and interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo.

"We have suspended Eli for a pattern of behaviour that is conduct detrimental to the team," Abrams said in a statement on the Giants' official website.

Apple has played in 11 games this season, starting seven of those, but only featured on special teams in last Sunday's 23-0 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals, with Brandon Dixon and Ross Cockerell selected ahead of Apple.

Explaining Apple's absence from the Giants' defense in Arizona, Spagnuolo said: "The way the practices went last week, we felt that the two guys that we played practiced better with the group and that's why we went in that direction."

The suspension comes after Giants safety Landon Collins referred to Apple as a "cancer" to the team in an interview on ESPN Radio on Tuesday.

When asked about Collins' comments, Spagnuolo said: "[Landon and I] had a quick conversation this morning and then I had a quick conversation with Eli.

"Then all three of us had a really good conversation and it was very productive and I'll just leave it at that. It's between them and they were really great."

Apple is suspended for the Giants' final game of the regular season against the Washington Redskins.

The Giants (2-13) have had a disastrous season, which resulted in the sacking of former head coach Ben McAdoo after week 13.