New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz is healing and rehabilitating from patellar tendon surgery that he underwent last October. Trying to prove that he can make a full comeback in less than one year, Cruz had this to say:
“I knew I wanted that. I kept thinking, this is going to be big for me,'” Cruz told USA Today. “Either it’s going to make me, or it’s going to break me.”
It typically takes players over a year to recover from such an intense surgery. And for some, they never quite regain their previous abilities. Cruz could be one to defy the odds, just like running back Adrian Paterson did when he blew out his ACL in 2011 and returned to post 2,000-plus yards the following season. The issue with Cruz actually returning to form is that an injury in that part of the body might impact his explosiveness—something he’s obviously relied on in the past.
Cruz isn’t the only Giants receiver who isn’t at 100 percent health. Second-year receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is dealing with a sore hamstring. Both receivers sat out for the Giants’ mandatory minicamp due to their aliments. Should Cruz and Beckham be able to return at full speed, the pair could be on path to put up some monster numbers in 2015.
This is indeed a pivotal year for Cruz, whose early-season performance could tell us what we need to know about his ability to make a full recovery. Cruz is entering his sixth season with the Giants.
Photo: USA Today Sports