Victor Cruz was running and cutting, smiling and laughing, doing just about everything on the field short of the salsa – and even that may come soon enough.

Cruz, who hasn’t appeared in a game for the Giants since Oct. 12, 2014, and had most recently been out since Aug. 9 with tightness in his groin, fully participated in Tuesday’s practice with no limitations and hopes to make his return at MetLife Stadium on Saturday against the Jets.

“That’s what he’s looking forward to and that’s what we’re looking forward to seeing him do,” coach Ben McAdoo said. “We’ll find out more … [Wednesday], but I’m looking forward to seeing him. It was nice to see him in uniform in pregame the other day.”

Last weekend in Buffalo, Cruz was sporting No. 80 on the field with the team, which McAdoo hoped would help remind the receiver of the feeling before a game. On Tuesday, everyone else was reminded of the potential the offense possesses if Cruz can remain healthy all season and play alongside Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Sterling Shepard.

It was too early to tell if the 29-year-old was capable of recreating his past production, but Cruz didn’t appear hesitant running any of his routes. He cut hard and ran fast, catching every ball that hit his hands, while looking more like a former Pro Bowler than someone who had undergone knee and calf surgeries.

“He came out and looked fresh,” Beckham said. “I saw a lot of moving around. … I know he definitely would love to get some preseason in. It’s been a little minute since he played, but in my opinion he looked great.”

Cruz looked sharp, and happy, hanging out with his fellow receivers, watching Beckham dance during a break, completing a lengthy handshake routine with Dwayne Harris.

It was how it was supposed to be and how Beckham envisioned it would be before injury limited the shared experience to six games during his rookie season in 2014.

“Just seeing him back out there catching some balls, turning up the field, bursting a little bit, it feels good. It feels right,” Beckham said. “It’s fun. It’s always fun. When you’re out there with your brothers and you see somebody else having fun, you see somebody else came to work and they got a smile on their face, it makes it 10 times easier for the next guy, whether it’s to make a play or just to be enthused about practice.

“It’s great to see Vic back out there. He’s been through quite a lot.”

After so many setbacks, certainty about Cruz’s future is impossible and confidence doesn’t come as easy as it once did. The Giants will have to see how Cruz feels on Wednesday and Thursday and Friday before knowing whether he will be able to play this weekend.

For now, it looks as likely as it has in a long time that No. 80 will play in a game in the near future. If not, and if the future looks the same as Cruz’s recent past, Beckham is still confident that the Giants offense could still be one of the league’s best.

But the star receiver who emerged in Cruz’s extended absence believes they’ll finally have a chance to shine together.

“Victor Cruz is definitely a big part of the offense and we definitely would love to have him out there,” Beckham said. “I’m definitely looking forward and think Vic will be ready come Sept. 11.”