It’s been nearly two years since New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz tore his patellar tendon in a Week 6 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Since then, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for the former Pro Bowler.
After working his way back from the leg injury, over-compensation led to further problems for Cruz in 2015. A series of calf injuries shut him down completely, ending his return before it even got started.
2016 was supposed to be a fresh start for Cruz, but a groin injury early in training camp only lead to more frustration. But after quietly and patiently sitting on the sidelines for the last three weeks, Cruz’s moment in the sun has finally arrived.
Following a week of practice sans further setbacks, Giants head coach Ben McAdoo says Cruz will suit up and play against the New York Jets on Saturday night.
“He got through a good practice on our Wednesday practice on Tuesday. Yesterday he got through a three-hour practice in good shape,” McAdoo told reporters on Thursday. “We will put him out there early in the game.”
For Cruz, there’s almost an irony in the timing of his return. After all, it was a three-touchdown performance against the Jets during a 2010 preseason game that put him on the map, while a 99-yard touchdown again Gang Green during the 2011 regular season helped propel the Giants to Super Bowl XLVI.
The strange twist of fate isn’t lost on Cruz, either.
“You can’t write it any better than this. This is the way my career has gone. It’s the way my professional career has gone. [Jets games] have always been some type of landmark situation for me, so here we go again,” Cruz told reporters on Thursday. “I’m ready. This is more than just a game for me.”
So long as Cruz can make it through Saturday’s game in one piece, fans will finally have the opportunity to see No. 80 and Odell Beckham Jr. on the same field in a game that counts on September 11 against the Dallas Cowboys.
