New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz hasn’t played in an NFL game since October 2014 due to injuries to his right knee and left calf.
A torn patellar tendon in his knee ended his 2014 season and a nagging calf injury derailed his 2015 season before it ever had a chance to get going.
It turns out Cruz’s calf issue was a fairly unusual ailment. According to Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media, Cruz suffered a torn fascia in his left calf that kept experiencing setbacks throughout the season. Cruz says it’s a “very rare” injury, but after surgery he’s expected to make a full recovery.
“Supposedly after you get it fixed it’ll be 100 percent,” Cruz said. “It’s a soft-tissue injury so it should heal pretty well on its own.
“Other guys have had it as well, but it’s something that I should definitely have a full recovery from.”
Cruz said the injury was a result of overcompensation as he attempted to come back from the knee injury that ended his 2014 season. As he tried to recover from the calf injury, it would keep popping out of place repeatedly, which caused the process to start all over again.
Cruz is now rehabbing from calf surgery and working to build up the strength in his legs again.
“Obviously still rehabbing, still getting strength back in the calf, but I feel good,” Cruz said. “There is no more pain, there are no more setbacks or anything like that. Now we’re just working on getting the strength back so I can be able to run and cut and all those good things.”
Cruz caught 241 passes for 3,620 yards and 23 touchdowns from 2011-2013 with the Giants. If he will be back with New York next season will likely depend on if the two sides can work out a restructured contract for 2016.