Wayne Nunnely. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Wayne Nunnely was at a point in life where he had to choose. Job or family?

Nunnely picked family. An NFL defensive line coach for 17 seasons, the past three with the Broncos, Nunnely notified his players at their positional meeting Monday morning that he was retiring, effective immediately.

"This was not an easy decision, but it was the right one for me and my family," Nunnely said in a statement. "At this stage of my life, I want to devote more time to my wife, Velda, and the rest of our family. They have been with me every step of the way through an incredible career that I've been so blessed to enjoy. The NFL has a wonderful retirement plan, and it's time for me to begin the next chapter of my life."

Nunnely, 60, will be replaced by Jay Rodgers, who had been a coaching assistant with the Broncos the previous three seasons. Rodgers, 35, is the older brother of the teams special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers.

Nunnely started his coaching career at Valley (Nevada) High in 1975, then coached 18 years with seven colleges, including two stints at Nevada-Las Vegas, where he was head coach from 1986-89.

In the NFL Nunnely was a defensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints (1995-96) and San Diego chargers (1997-2008) before he was hired by the Broncos in 2009.

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Broncos' Wayne Nunnely, longtime assistant coach, retires from NFL