Veteran wide receiver Victor Cruz made it official today - he is retiring from the NFL. Cruz, 31, last played in the league in the 2016 season as a member of the New York Giants, where he spent all six seasons of his career before being released last February.
Cruz made his retirement announcement today in a video on UNINTERRUPTED and revealed that he'll be joining ESPN as an analyst.
"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 said in a statement. "I'm excited to get started and share my insight and analysis with the viewers and fans of the NFL."
After being released by the Giants, Cruz signed with the Chicago Bears but was released by the team last September and didn't play at all last season. A torn patellar tendon in October 2014 caused Cruz to miss most of that season and all of the 2015 season, before he returned to the Giants in 2016, where he had just 39 catches for 586 yards and one touchdown.
Prior to the injury, the undrafted wide receiver was a star for the G-Men, including a span from 2011-2013 in which he caught 241 passes for 3,626 yards and 23 touchdowns. He was also an integral piece of the Giants' Super Bowl run after the 2011 regular season, recording 21 receptions for 269 yards in four games and a touchdown catch in the Giants' 21-17 victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.
Cruz is expected to make his ESPN debut on Wednesday.
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