Former Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz announced his retirement from the NFL and a new venture with ESPN on Tuesday.
“As I officially close one chapter of my life and begin another, I could not be more thrilled to join another championship team at ESPN,” Cruz told UNINTERRUPTED. “I’m excited to get started and share my insight and analysis with the viewers and fans of the NFL.”
In a press release, ESPN said Cruz “has a deep knowledge of the game and experience playing at the highest levels, so we expect him to be an impactful voice.”
Cruz, who joined the New York Giants in 2010 as an undrafted free agent from UMass, had 303 catches for 4,549 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns in six seasons with New York. He was one of the best receivers in the league until 2014, when he suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. He rehabbed the injury for two years, missing the entire 2015 season, but was never able to replicate his earlier success.
Still only 31, Cruz said in May he wanted to play in 2018. But after getting cut by the Bears last offseason and receiving no interest since, Cruz is moving on.