One of the New York Giants' best players has been out since October, and his return is a mystery
Cruz missed the rest of the season, of course, but was scheduled to make his comeback in training camp this offseason and play in Week 1.
However, early into training camp Cruz injured his calf in his opposite leg, sidelining him for much of training camp and the preseason.
What was believed to be a simple aggravation has worsened as time has gone on, and Cruz has now been absent for longer than anyone initially projected. He hasn't practiced since August 17, and he missed the entire preseason, getting scratched week after week.
His return date was always set for Week 1 of the regular season, beginning this Sunday. Now, that date seems to be a stretch, too. ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote on September 3 that the Giants would be "crazy to rush" Cruz back for Week 1, saying:
As of Tuesday, which was 12 days before the opener, he wasn't even allowed to jog on the side during practice. Given his condition and the severity of his knee injury, it feels as though more than 12 days should pass between his first jog and his first appearance on an NFL field in front of a huge crowd and against an angry defense.
On Wednesday, Cruz again didn't practice, and Giants head coach Tom Coughlin gave a pretty bleak update: