Victor Cruz
Wide receiver Victor Cruz may not be back with the Giants next season. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Victor Cruz doesn't have to do anything to return to the Giants. Cruz is under contract for the next two seasons, so if it's left up to him, he'll just show up when the team reports for offseason workouts in April.
But Cruz understands it's not that simple. The 30-year-old receiver has a $9.4 million salary cap hit next season, which is far too much for the Giants to allocate to their No. 3 wide receiver.
Cruz took a pay cut last March that reduced his base salary from $7.9 million to $1.3 million for the 2016 season. A similar cut will likely be required if Cruz wants to return to the Giants, but he said he has yet to hear anything from the team.
"Obviously the ball is in their court to assess the team, make their evaluations and then go from there," Cruz said on the "Timeout with Taylor Rooks" podcast.
The Giants have six weeks before Cruz is due a $1 million roster bonus on March 11. Cruz has been around long enough to understand what is coming after catching 39 passes for 586 yards and a touchdown in his comeback from major knee and calf injuries.
"You understand the business side of this thing," Cruz said. "I try to take it one day at a time, enjoy every moment. The business stuff is going to be exactly that. It's nothing I can control."
Cruz has made no secret about his desire to remain with the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent out of UMass in 2010. The Paterson native said "this is home" and that he plans to be back with the Giants.
"I wish that was solely up to me, but that's the plan," Cruz said. "That's always the plan, to be in a Big Blue uniform for the rest of my career. But (general managers) and owners have to make decisions as well, so we'll see."
The Giants could decide to cut ties with Cruz rather than renegotiating his contract. If Cruz isn't in the Giants plans, he declined to name any alternative destinations. But he knows what he'd be looking for in another team.
"I want to go to a team that wants me to be there and is committed to my skill set and committed to my being there and contributing to that team as much as I possibly can," Cruz said. "And then I want to go to a contender. I want to go somewhere that will be able to be in the hunt to win it every year. So, we'll see."
Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.