Giants to Sign Eli Manning’s Former Backup at QB

Getty Giants QB Alex Tanney.

With starter Daniel Jones appearing to be trending towards being inactive against the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday, the New York Giants have opted to bring in some reinforcement at the quarterback position.

Alex Tanney, who spent two seasons with the Giants prior to his release this September, is set to rejoin the team and travel to Seattle in case of an emergency at the position.

“As far as Alex, he won’t be officially cleared until Saturday. We’ll take him to Seattle with us and keep him in the fold,” head coach Joe Judge told reporters on Friday. “In terms of if we needed him if something happened in the last minute, activate him.”

Originally an undrafted free agent out of Monmouth College (IL) back in 2012, Tanney has been the quintessential journeyman, spending time with eight different franchises (Chiefs, Cowboys, Browns, Buccaneers, Titans, Bills, Colts and Giants). Despite his numerous stops in the league, the now 33-year-old has appeared in just two career games. In 2015, as a member of the Tennessee Titans, Tanney completed 10 of 14 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. Since that day in Lucas Oil Stadium, Tanney has attempted just one regular-season pass, a one-yard completion as a member of the Giants a season ago.

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Tanney Played Huge Role in Daniel Jones’ Development

Most notably known for beating out former draft pick Kyle Lauletta for the right to serve as Eli Manning’s primary backup in 2018, Tanney spent 2019 working alongside then-rookie Daniel Jones, playing a key part in his mentorship.

A veteran NFL offensive assistant who was interested in a position with the G-Men this offseason told Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post that Tanney’s role in Jones’ success as a rookie was seismic.

“I was told, ‘If you end up there somehow, you have to keep Tanney around because of the job he does with Jones,’” the coach told Dunleavy. “Tanney did prep work for Jones. He spent all day with Jones.”

More QB Help Incoming?

Despite failing to make it out of camp with the team this summer, it’s likely Tanney’s veteran presence plus his knowledge of the offense and the organization that gave him the leg up against other potential signees at the position.

For instance, alongside Tanney, the Giants also brought in former Vikings and Panthers quarterback Joe Webb for a visit earlier this week. While a signing could still occur, his status with the team remains unclear at this time. There was also the idea of a reunion with Cooper Rush, who spent training camp with the team and is vastly familiar with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett’s system dating back to their Dallas days. However, as you can tell from head coach Joe Judge’s comments regarding Rush earlier this week, the 27-year-old was clearly on the back of the team’s mind, at least when compared to Tanney.

Here’s what Judge had to say about the current Dallas Cowboys practice squad occupant, who would need to be added to the Giants’ 53-man active roster were he signed:

“To be honest with you, I have to check and see where Cooper is exactly right now. I haven’t gone through all of those lists yet. We had those conversations. We just wrapped up meetings with the players. I’m going to jump back into some personnel discussions when this call is over.”