New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz has missed the past few weeks of practice, and was still sidelined on Monday while his teammates prepared for the first game of the season.
Fantasy owners, beware. Cruz may not play in Week 1, and given the way his recovery has faltered the past few weeks this is a situation to monitor closely.
Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com believes this development “is troubling,” and notes “it doesn’t bode well for his Week 1 prospects.”
“This is troubling. He wasn’t at practice at all again Monday or working on the side field with a trainer. As far as we’re aware, he hasn’t done any running now in almost three weeks. Given he still has to worry about the knee he had surgically repaired last year, it’s going to take Cruz more than a few days to be ready once he returns to the field. This almost certainly does not bode well for his Week 1 prospects.”
If Cruz is still unable to fully practice by Wednesday, then it’s almost certain the Giants will hold him out of Week 1’s contest against the hated Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Sept. 13.
The talented receiver didn’t play at all this preseason, and he hasn’t been able to practice since his calf injury occurred in mid-August.
Whenever he cleared to practice again, fans shouldn’t expect Cruz to immediately return to the stellar form he displayed every week before his devastating knee injury, which was season-ending last year. He hasn’t been able to develop any chemistry with quarterback Eli Manning, and that will take time to cultivate.
New York will be happy to have Cruz back in action whenever he’s ready. However, until that time the organization will surely be conservative regarding his health. Taking a long-term approach will be much more beneficial to him and the team, rather than trying to rush him back for short-term gains.