Mike Purcell, a Highlands Ranch native and a steady Broncos defensive tackle from 2019-23, is retiring from the NFL.

Purcell’s agent, Cameron Foster, told The Denver Gazette on Tuesday his client, who wasn’t active in the NFL in 2024 but did get offers from teams, wants to spend more time with his two young children at his home in Boise, Idaho.

“He just didn’t want to be away from his children anymore,” Foster said. “It was time for him to focus on being a father and that was what he wanted to do.”

Purcell, 33, starred at Highlands Ranch High School and at Wyoming. He played in the NFL from 2013-23.

Purcell became a free agent last March and wasn’t re-signed by Denver. He was signed last August by New England but was released before the start of the season. Foster said he got calls from five teams during the season expressing interest in Purcell, but the defensive tackle didn’t want to pursue any of the opportunities.

“He just didn’t want to travel anymore,” Foster said.

Purcell was undrafted out of Wyoming in 2013 before being with San Francisco from 2013-16. He spent time with the Los Angeles Rams, Chicago, Carolina, New England and Kansas City from 2017-18 but didn’t get into a regular-season game. He then made the Broncos in 2019 under then-head coach Vic Fangio.

Purcell started 45 of the 90 NFL games he played. In his five Denver seasons, he started 37 of 65 games and had 166 tackles. He started 10 of the 16 games he played for the Broncos in his final season of 2023, having 25 tackles.

“He had a phenomenal career,” Foster said. “He is just as good of a human being as he was an NFL football player. He was pretty special.”

Foster said Purcell doesn’t have any immediate plans other than to spend time with his family.

“The NFL was good to him financially, and it’s time for him to reap the benefits for a while,’’ Foster said.

Nix declines Pro Bowl invite

Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had to turn down a replacement invitation to the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl Games due to an upcoming minor medical procedure.

With Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen and Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson having dropped out of the Pro Bowl, Nix, as the fourth alternate, was offered a spot Tuesday. However, he had to decline due to a source saying he had a “previously scheduled minor and routine cleanup procedure to correct.”

The Pro Bowl Games run Thursday through Sunday in Orlando, Fla. The source said Nix “wants to be able to get to full-go training” as soon as possible for the 2025 season.

Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson, who played for Denver from 2022-23, was chosen to replace Allen, who was originally the starter on the AFC roster, and New England rookie Drake Maye to replace Jackson. Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow remains on the AFC roster.

Lions hire Morton

Broncos pass-game coordinator John Morton, who helped Nix develop into a top rookie quarterback, is returning to Detroit.

Morton was hired as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. Morton, who was a senior offensive assistant for Detroit in 2022, replaces Ben Johnson, who last week was named Chicago’s head coach.

Morton, 55, spent the past two seasons with the Broncos under head coach Sean Payton. He worked with Wilson as the starting quarterback in 2023 and last season played a role in Nix, the No. 12 pick out of Oregon, having a banner rookie campaign.

A source had told The Denver Gazette on Sunday it was trending toward Morton returning to Detroit. He becomes reunited with head coach Dan Campbell, who has been with the Lions since 2021.

Broncos, Manursky part ways

The Broncos have parted ways with inside linebackers coach Greg Manusky, a source said.

Manusky served on Payton’s staff the past two seasons. Manusky, 58, played in the NFL as a linebacker from 1988-99 with Washington, Minnesota and Kansas City, and has been a longtime NFL assistant.

Denver’s play was up and down at inside linebacker in 2024. The Broncos lost captain and top tackler Alex Singleton for the remainder of the season after he suffered a torn ACL in Week 3. Justin Strnad mostly filled in after that for Singleton and was ranked No. 78 out of 84 NFL linebackers by Pro Football Focus. Cody Barton was the other starter throughout the season and was ranked No. 45 by Pro Football Focus.

The Broncos are now down four assistants since their 31-7 playoff loss at Buffalo on Jan. 12. In addition to the departures of Morton and Manursky, special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica was fired and tight ends coach Declan Doyle was hired as Chicago’s offensive coordinator.