Eli Apple says he was NOT trying to diss Damar Hamlin on Twitter after the Bengals beat the Bills on Sunday ... claiming he would never make light of the Buffalo safety's medical emergency.
The tweet in question came late Monday night ... when the 6-year NFL cornerback quote tweeted Stefon Diggs' post addressing his emotions after the game.
"Cancun on 3," Apple replied in the tweet ... ending it with a hand heart emoji.
Many believed the emoji was a reference to Hamlin, who has been known to do the heart hands throughout his career .