Victor Cruz released after 7 years with Giants

Victor Cruz’s tenure with the New York Giants has come to an end after the team announced his release on Monday. The Giants save $7.5 million in salary cap money by cutting the 30-year-old receiver.

It’s a bittersweet end to Cruz’s Giants career after being a beloved fan favorite for so many years. An undrafted free agent out of UMass, Cruz signed with the Giants in 2010 but didn’t emerge as a star until 2011.

Cruz thanked fans on Instagram Monday afternoon:

He broke out in his second season, racking up 82 catches for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns. In 2012, Cruz had another huge year and established himself as one of the game’s premier slot receivers. His salsa touchdown dance quickly became iconic, and Cruz was one of the biggest stars in all of New York sports.

Unfortunately, his career took a hard turn south in 2014. During a Week 6 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cruz went down with a torn patellar tendon, ending his season early. It’s one of the hardest injuries for an athlete to come back from, although Cruz was nearly set to make his comeback at the start of the 2015 season. However, he picked up a calf injury while rehabbing the knee, and that resulted in him sitting out the entire year once again.

Cruz finally made his return to the field in 2016. He scored a touchdown in Week 1 and looked to be back, but that ended up being the only time he scored all year. Cruz fell behind rookie Sterling Shepard on the depth chart, and finished the year with a meager stat line (39 catches, 586 yards).

It’s possible that the Giants bring back Cruz on a smaller contract — he’s still capable of big plays here and there and is a respected locker room presence. The Giants don’t have much depth at receiver behind Odell Beckham Jr. and Shepard, so the position will be a need this offseason. Cruz isn’t the dynamic playmaker he once was, but he could have some value in the free agent market as a veteran presence.