Victor Cruz Reportedly Cut by Chicago Bears After Signing in Offseason

Wide receiver Victor Cruz's tenure with the Chicago Bears is reportedly over before he even saw the field for a regular-season contest.

On Friday, Art Stapleton of The Record cited a source and reported the Bears will release Cruz after inking him to a one-year deal this offseason.

The 30-year-old was a Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion as a member of the New York Giants, but he didn't display the dynamic playmaking ability of his past during the preseason with Chicago.

He tallied six catches for 28 yards for the Bears in the preseason and didn't stand out among his fellow pass-catchers.

Cruz was once one of the best receivers in the league and topped the 1,000-yard mark in 2011 and 2012 while hauling in 19 touchdowns during the two-year span. However, injuries sapped him of much of his explosiveness, as he played six games in 2014 before a season-ending patellar injury and missed the 2015 season after calf surgery.

Pro Football Focus put his decline into statistical perspective:

Cruz remained largely healthy in 2016—his final year with the Giants—and posted 586 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in 15 games. However, he didn't show enough to make the Bears even after top receiver Cameron Meredith suffered a torn ACL.