Just prior to Thursday’s game against the New England Patriots, the short-handed New York Giants waived veteran quarterback Alex Tanney and promoted running back Austin Walter from their practice squad.
The move was numbers-specific with both Saquon Barkley (ankle) and Wayne Gallman (concussion) sitting out, leaving the Giants with just rookie Jon Hilliman and fullback Eli Penny before the promotion of Walter.
The move was expected to be temporary, and it was.
Less than 20 hours after the conclusion of their Week 7 loss, the Giants announced that Tanney has been re-signed and Walter, who took just one offensive snap, had been waived.
Knowing that such a move was likely to be made, Tanney never bothered to leave the team and was even seen walking through the locker room in Foxborough after the 35-14 loss.
Tanney’s spot on the 53-man roster has been met with hefty criticism due to the continued presence of Eli Manning and the team’s needs at other positions, but both general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmur maintain he brings behind-the-scenes value that they aren’t willing to part with.
