Victor Cruz is set to earn $7.4 million in base salary with the New York Giants next season, and it is very clear that he is no longer the same player he was when he signed the contract he is currently playing under. But as of now, the team has not asked him to take less money.
That could be a bad thing.
The Giants are almost certain to either ask Cruz to take less money in 2017 or release him outright. While speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Cruz said he has not heard from the team since New York was eliminated from the playoffs with a loss to the Green Bay Packers. He did, however, say that he does not feel the need to sell himself to a team he has played six seasons for.
“If I need to pitch them now, something’s wrong,” Cruz said, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
Cruz didn’t even get a chance to speak with Ben McAdoo after the final game of the year, as the Giants coach canceled exit interviews due to time constraints.
The Giants know what they have in Cruz, and what they have is a player who missed the entire 2015 season due to injuries. He battled back to appear in 15 games this season, but Cruz is nowhere near as big a part of the offense as he once was. He caught just 39 passes for 586 yards and one score.
Cruz may not have to sell himself to the Giants, but that doesn’t mean they’ll keep him. Even if he did act like a leader by taking responsibility for a late-season mistake, the market for a 30-year-old receiver with a long injury history simply isn’t very hot.
