The Arizona Cardinals introduced new general manager Monti Ossenfort Tuesday, and he wasted no time delivering a stern message.
“We’re going to focus on a completely unified message across the general manager, the head coach and ownership to what exactly we want to be as a football organization,” Ossenfort said.
“We are going to turn over every stone to find the right players for this team. We are not just collecting talent, we’re going to build a team. We’re going to look for the right type of players. Ego will not be tolerated in this organization. We are going to look for focused, driven (players), and people who are willing to put the team first at every step of the way.”
New Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort opened his press conference with a strong message.
"Ego will not be tolerated in this organization." pic.twitter.com/1vvPm4kDoZ
— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) January 17, 2023
Ossenfort comes to Arizona from the Tennessee Titans, where he spent the last three seasons as director of player personnel. Before that, he spent 14 seasons with the New England Patriots. There, he worked his way up from area scout to director of college scouting.
Ossenfort’s “ego” message delivered at the Cardinals headquarters comes at a peculiar time. A recent report about star quarterback Kyler Murray had an anonymous Arizona player tell Bally Sports that the team “created a monster” when they awarded him a five-year, $230 million contract extension before the season.
The quarterback, who tore his ACL in a game on Dec. 12, is not expected to be ready for the start of next season.
Ossenfort’s first challenge will be leading the search for a new head coach to replace the fired Kliff Kingsbury. Other moves include finding a trade partner for star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
[Andrew Siciliano, NFL Network]
