A part of Chris Chester wanted to continue playing football, but the former Atlanta Falcons offensive guard knew it was time to focus more on his family.

After 11 NFL seasons, Chester had no problem retiring from the game he loves.

"I don’t know if the decision itself was that difficult," Chester told ESPN. "More than anything, it was me coming to terms with moving on with the next chapter of my life, which I’m glad to do. Change can always be difficult, at times.

"I feel confident that I could play one or two more years. I obviously don’t feel like I’m 22 years old, either. But more so than anything, I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to spend time with my family. My wife, my kids, they make sacrifices during the season, too. It’s really appreciated that they do. But I want to be able to be there with them."

Guard Chris Chester started all 16 games in each of his last six seasons. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

Chester, 34, entered the league in 2006 as a second-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens out of Oklahoma. He started 143 of 169 career games, including all 16 in each of his last six seasons with the Falcons (two) and Washington Redskins (four).

His legs aren’t the same as they used to be, and he knows it. And Chester had shoulder surgery prior to signing a one-year deal to return to the Falcons last season.

"One of the things I took a lot of pride in was having so many consecutive starts and games played," Chester said. "I was aware that the nature of football, you can’t play it for very long and not get hurt. Everyone gets hurt. I accepted that. I knew that playing. I knew that going in. And that was one of the factors in my decision to retire: With 11 years, you’re kind of pushing your luck a little bit in terms of your long-term health.

"But more so than anything, it was about spending time with my family. That’s something that’s really important to me."

Chester had an opportunity to exit the game with a championship ring on his finger. Instead, he enters retirement still stinging a bit from a 34-28 overtime loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, a game during which the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead.

"It definitely hurts," Chester said. "It definitely was a disappointment. Every once in a while it will come up and you kind of think about it. But I take a lot of pride in knowing that I did all that I could, and my teammates and the coaches did all that they could. You learn lessons from a loss like that and you move on. You can’t dwell on it. It’s easier said than done, but just like I tell my kids, it’s just a game. You have to take whatever life lesson from it and move on."

Chester, being a part of an offensive line that had success opening holes for Pro Bowler Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, was asked if he thought the Falcons should have run the ball more in the second half.

"I’m a lineman, so we always want to run the ball," he said. "I’ll leave it at that."

Although Chester played just two seasons with the Falcons, he hopes to retire as a Falcon. It’s a testament to the bond he established with his teammates. Chester had the reputation of being the ultimate professional. Right tackle Ryan Schraeder said Chester helped him grow tremendously as a player and was the one who "always calmed me down when I would get pissed off about something."

Chester appreciated being respected by his teammates, particularly his fellow offensive linemen.

"I think that’s the highest compliment you can receive as a teammate," Chester said. "To me, from the beginning of me playing sports way back decades, I always wanted to be respected and appreciated by my teammates. And I wanted them to know that they can rely on me. That was always at the forefront of my mind. It really means a lot for those guys to think those things about me.

"I think it’s kind of reflective of the culture that coach (Dan) Quinn is building in Atlanta where guys, they’re accountable to one another and they sincerely care about each other."

As for the next chapter, Chester’s immediate plans are to watch his two sons, ages 11 and 7, play basketball, baseball, and soccer, along with watching his 4-year-old daughter play soccer and compete in dance. He intends on letting his boys play football, eventually.

"I kind of want them to wait until they get a little bit older," Chester said. "Football is not a game I think you need to play too early on, at least not with full pads. I didn’t play until I got to high school. To each their own but with my kids, I’m going to wait until they are in at least seventh or eighth grade before I really start letting them hit."

Chester sees himself remaining close to the game in some capacity, most likely as an athletic performance or weight trainer. And once the 2017 football season comes around, you can bet Chester will be rooting for his old teammates as the Falcons move into the new, $1.53 billon Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

"Even though my time was short here and I had good experiences in Washington and Baltimore, there really hasn’t been anything like Atlanta in my sporting career," Chester said. "I’ve never been a part of a team as close and as tight as this team in Atlanta.

"To the Falcons fans, I just want to say thank you. Like I said, my time here in Atlanta was brief but really special. It’s made the biggest impact on me. And the fans, they really got behind us and showed us a lot of love, and I really appreciate it. I want the fans to know this organization is on the verge of something special and they need to maintain their enthusiasm for the team, just like they did for us during our playoff run."