Atlanta Falcons assistant general manager Scott Pioli has stepped down, according to a report by Field Yates at ESPN. This was not unexpected for the team and there have been ongoing discussions for a while, Yates added.
Pioli had previously worked with several other teams, including the Browns, Ravens, Jets and Patriots. In 2009, he joined the Chiefs as general manager, a post he held until 2012.
After sitting out a year, he came to Atlanta as assistant general manager in 2014. Pioli has been instrumental to the Falcons front office during the draft process over the years, so this could be a significant loss. It’s possible he has his eye on another opportunity: the Jets have an opening for a GM after firing Mike Maccagnan.
Update:
The team has confirmed the news. Thomas Dimitroff had this to say about Pioli’s decision, per the official team website:
“Over the last five years Scott has not only provided tremendous value to me, but to the entire the Falcons organization. He is a dear friend and will be missed within our organization. We are continuing to assess the structure within our organization and move forward with our next steps.”
