Why Cardinals Also Didn't Fire Monti Ossenfort

The Arizona Cardinals moved on from Jonathan Gannon -- but why not Monti Ossenfort?

Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill and general manager Monti Ossenfort speak to the press from the Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe after the decision to fire head coach Jonathan Gannon on Jan. 5, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The damage is done.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has officially been relieved of his duties after three seasons.

The decision was made by owner Michael Bidwill and general manager Monti Ossenfort after the Cardinals' season was fully finished in their Week 18 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, ensuring they finished with a 3-14 record.

"We just felt like we were going in the wrong direction and we needed to change course. So we did that this morning, and we're embarking on a search that Monti [Ossenfort] will be leading to bring on our next head coach of the Arizona Cardinals," Bidwill told reporters this afternoon.

Arizona undoubtedly was a disappointment this season -- but why was Ossenfort spared and not Gannon?

Why Monti Ossenfort Wasn't Fired

Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort speaks to the press from the Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe after the decision to fire head coach Jonathan Gannon on Jan. 5, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bidwill was asked this very question.

"I look at the roster, I think Monti's done a very good job. Three years ago, this roster looked a lot different. A combination of draft and free agency, injuries are obviously a factor. But when I look at the just the totality of the circumstances -- I wanted 17 games over the 18 weeks to make that decision," he said.

"Monti and I wanted to give the benefit of those coaches and those players to see a whole body of work for the whole season. And at the end of last night, when we had a chance to speak. And then again, this morning, after sleeping on it, we decided this was the best direction to go."

Bidwill later added:

"Comes down to wins and losses, and there were several games in which we had a chance to win those games when injuries weren't as much of a factor, and we didn't win them. You guys witnessed those same games.

"I think, again, the person that can impact the wins [is a head coach] and you look across [the NFL], those teams that are in the playoffs with new coaches that have turned those franchises around fast and their their fortunes on the field. We just felt like, when you look at how much we had regressed this year, we felt like the best option for us was to go in a different direction with the head coach."

Ossenfort was hired prior to Gannon and was part of the team that brought the head coach on during the 2023 cycle, even tampering with the then-Eagles coordinator to ensure Gannon was leading the Cardinals into the future.

However, Arizona's won just 15 games in the last three seasons. 2023 was very much a reset year for the roster while 2024 showed promise before expectations followed in 2025.

Ossenfort's received criticism for his misses in the draft and free agent cycles through his first three years, and the general manager didn't shy away from accepting responsibility in where the Cardinals currently stand.

"Absolutely. I feel we're all accountable for where we are. And that starts with me. And so I think we all have to look in the mirror and figure out where we have gone wrong, what we can do better, and how we proceed from here," he said.