Scott Pioli Steps Down as Falcons Assistant General Manager to Pursue New Opportunities

Pioli joined the Falcons in 2014 after spending four seasons as the Chiefs general manager.

Scott Pioli stepped down from his role as the Atlanta Falcons assistant general manager, the team announced Thursday.

Pioli, who joined the Falcons in 2014 following four seasons as the Chiefs general manager, said that he is stepping away to pursue other opportunities. He had held dialogue with Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff over the past year regarding his decision.

“When I accepted this position more than five years ago, we all believed this would likely be a two or three-year working relationship," Pioli said in a statement. "I came in to work closely with Thomas on personnel structure, processes and decisions. I loved the concept, was confident I could provide value and have enjoyed the challenge."

Per The Athletic, Pioli's decision to step down from his role with Atlanta is not connected to the New York Jets' opening at general manager. On Wednesday, the Jets announced that they fired Mike Maccagnan and elevated head coach Adam Gase into an interim general manager role.

Pioli helped construct a Falcons roster which reached the playoffs in both 2016 and '17, including an appearance in Super Bowl LI.