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Giants QB Alex Tanney, a one-time viral-video sensation, retires from NFL

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 2/9/21

New York Giants quarterback Alex Tanney never made it as a starter in the NFL but spent nine years in the league and will long be remembered for something he created before he received his first pro contract.

The Giants confirmed on Tuesday that Tanney is retiring from the NFL. Big Blue had re-signed the 33-year-old, who served as a backup for Eli Manning and Daniel Jones during his Giants tenure, on Jan. 4, and it's rumored that he could pursue a job as a coach or coordinator.

Back in 2011, a video of Tanney completing trick-shot throws went viral:

During a brief stint with the Cleveland Browns in the fall of 2013, fans and local sports-talk radio personalities affectionately referred to the signal-caller as "Trash-Can Tanney," a reference to throws Tanney completed in the famous clip.

Tanney entered the NFL in 2012 when the Kansas City Chiefs signed him as an undrafted free agent. He also spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, and Indianapolis Colts.

In total, Tanney threw only 15 passes during meaningful NFL games. His last, a completion, occurred when he finished Manning's final start, a win over the Miami Dolphins, on Dec. 15, 2019.

He ended the 2020 campaign on New York's practice squad but never played during his last season.

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