Victor Cruz of the New York Giants has decided to stick with Big Blue and play for them this upcoming season. Between his injury record, his age and a massive pay cut, it is questionable whether or not Cruz is making the right choice in his career.

October 12, 2014 was the last time Cruz played a game in the NFL. On this day, he tore his right patellar tendon and underwent surgery the following day for his knee. Just as Cruz began to recover in 2015, he sustained a calf injury while training. He made the decision to go under the knife for this injury as well, which took him out of the 2015 season entirely. Will Cruz be healthy enough to contribute to the Giants’ offensive line, regardless of his good intentions?

If Cruz were a younger player, the answer would be yes. However, the fact of the matter is that Cruz will be turning 30 this season and has been out of the game for almost two years. The Giants can easily draft a college receiver to take his place who can likely give the same production, if not more. It is unwise for the Giants to continue to invest in someone who is not producing the desired results.

Rumor has it that the Giants were ready to dismiss Cruz unless he agreed to go from his scheduled base salary of $7.9 million to a mere $1.3 million in comparison. Out of his desire to remain on the Giants’ roster, he accepted this pay cut and offered these sentiments on his acceptance of the pay cut: “It's bigger than just me, it's bigger than just the Giants. It's about the fans, it's about the people." There is no doubt that Cruz’s love for the game, his team, and his fans is unshakable and certainly not fueled by a high salary, which is respectable.

It is touching that Cruz is making his best effort to be a productive team member and play the game to the best of his ability, but he should recognize that his time in the NFL has come to an end. After one injury in a game, and and another during training, Cruz needs to realize that he is not healthy enough to contribute to the team in the way he desires. If a two-year hiatus and $6.6 million pay cut isn’t enough of a signal for Cruz to hang up his helmet, it is hard to tell what exactly will influence him to retire.

Older players occasionally are able to perform well on the field, although it is typical for players to look towards retirement at around age 35. That being said, Cruz may only have about five more good years on the field at the most, provided that his bill of health stays clean. Considering his current track record, this seems like it may be difficult to do. It is indeed possible for Cruz to get back into the game and have a great few seasons, but the chances of that seem unlikely.

Cruz is acting very selfishly at the moment by ignoring his health and deciding to play without recent game experience. A good wide receiver is imperative to an offense’s success, and it is questionable whether or not Cruz will be able to fulfill this role. Perhaps this season will serve as a much-needed wake up call for Cruz.