Kyler Murray was at the center of a disappointing season for the Arizona Cardinals for all the wrong reasons.
It started with the franchise quarterback having a strange clause in his new contract to make sure he was studying opponents rather than playing video games. There were also on-field outbursts during the season as it seemed Murray and now-fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury butted heads.
Murray’s behavior and commitment have certainly been called into question, and new Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort seemed to put the star signal-caller on notice as well during his introductory press conference Tuesday.
“We are not just collecting talent. We’re going to build a team,” Ossenfort told reporters during his opening remarks, per team-provided video. “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 that are willing to put the team first at every step of the way.”
While Ossenfort didn’t directly say Murray’s name, it’s safe to presume many, whether inside the organization or outside of it, will think the ego comment was directed toward the 25-year-old quarterback.
Murray, who is recovering from a torn ACL, has grown somewhat of a reputation as being a me-first player, one that is great for fantasy teams but not necessarily conducive to trying to win a Super Bowl.
Patrick Peterson definitely thinks Murray is only in it for himself as he had choice words for his former teammate back in late November.
“Kyler Murray don’t care about nobody but Kyler Murray. That’s just the matter of the fact,” Peterson said while appearing on the “All Things Covered” podcast.
Ossenfort, who worked as a scout for the New England Patriots for over a decade and thanked the Kraft family as well as Bill Belichick during his press conference, is trying to establish a team-first culture immediately in Arizona, and he certainly expects Murray, and the rest of the Cardinals, to toe the new company line.
