New York Giants

Victor Cruz is getting close to a return to the field

Published Sep. 23, 2015 9:31 a.m. ET

foxsports

Although head coach Tom Coughlin claims that the decision to release wide receiver Preston Parker has nothing to do with the status of Victor Cruz, you can't help but notice the recent progress Cruz has made toward a return from his recent calf injury. Cruz ran and practiced cutting on grass for the first time since injuring his calf in August.

"I'm closer," Cruz said to reporters Tuesday, per Newsday. "There's no pain in there anymore, so it's just a matter of getting the confidence back to running on it and cutting on it, things like that. And then we'll go from there."

The Giants play on Thursday Night football this week. With the short week, the entire practice schedule moves faster, and Cruz might have a difficult time catching up to it. He talked about the potential to suit up in Week 3 if the game had been held on Sunday.

"Potentially," he said. "You never know what could happen, you always just want to go out there and perform, make sure you're good to go for whatever week is upcoming. Obviously, the short week leaves you a little handicapped, if you will. But we'll see. We'll see how it continues to progress, how I feel in the morning, and we'll go from there."

Cruz's return will likely come in Week 4 if all continues to go well. Although Cruz believes he can play in Week 3, the decision ultimately comes down to what head coach Tom Coughlin wants to do

"If you know coach Coughlin, it's going to take a lot," he said. "So we'll see. I'm going to keep continuing to put the work in myself, and we'll see where this takes me. But with T.C., it gets tough."

Patience is a virtue, and this is something that Cruz understands after what he's been through. No player wants to watch his team from the sideline, but taking the necessary precautions to avoid re-injury are what will keep Cruz on the field long term.

"I've been patient for about 11 months now," Cruz said of waiting to get back into a game. "It's been hard, man, but you know you've got to stay the course. You're not going to do the team any good if you're out there at 60, 70 percent. You want to go out there 100 percent, being able to help this team win at the top of your ability, at the best of your ability, and that's what I want to do."

If Cruz continues to progress, there's no reason to believe he won't be back out there in Week 4.