Report: Cardinals hiring Lions’ Dave Sears as assistant GM

The Cardinals are reportedly hiring Detroit Lions director of college scouting Dave Sears as Arizona’s assistant general manager under GM Monti Ossenfort, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

It marks Ossenfort’s first known hire in his new role. It’s a familiar one, too, as he and Sears worked together in Houston for three seasons (2002, 2004-05).

The reported addition to Ossenfort’s front-office staff comes on the same day Arizona is expected to interview Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn for the Cardinals’ head-coaching vacancy.

Sears had been with the Lions since 2007, starting out as a regional scout. He eventually moved up the ranks and was named assistant director of college scouting from 2017-18. In 2019, he was promoted to director of college scouting.

Before his time in Detroit, Sears spent seven seasons with the Texans (2000-06).

Sears got his NFL start with the then-Washington Redskins as an intern in 1997. He was hired a few months later as a scouting administrator and was eventually promoted to a scout the following year.

With Sears reportedly in the fold, the Cardinals can continue their search for the team’s next head coach.

So far, Arizona has interviewed former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich, in-house candidate and DC Vance Joseph and Denver Broncos DC Ejiro Evero.

The team is expected to meet with Glenn on Saturday and has an interview lined up with San Francisco 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans for some time this week, though a specific timeframe is not yet known.

Arizona has requested interviews with Pittsburgh Steelers defensive assistant Brian Flores and former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.

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