by Joel Bitonio, a 12 year veteran offensive lineman with the Cleveland Browns has announced his retirement this morning. In a letter to the fans on ClevelandBrowns.com he was quoted as saying, ““There was never a point where I could envision myself in a different uniform. Wearing that orange helmet and being part of this franchise… I felt a loyalty to the Browns,“ Bitonio said as a part of his statement. ”I started the job here, and once I got to a certain point, I knew I wanted to finish the job in Cleveland.”
Bitonio was a fan favorite in Cleveland during his time and played on two teams that made the playoffs in 2020 and 2023. He was also the portrait of consistency on a line that had to block for an ever changing carousel of Cleveland Browns quarterbacks.
Joel Bitonio was selected to seven consecutive Pro Bowls (2018–2024) during his 12-year NFL career as a left guard for the Cleveland Browns. He achieved these honors from the 2018 through 2024 seasons, tying him with Myles Garrett for the fourth-most Pro Bowl selections in franchise history.
He played in 178 career games with the Browns, starting in all of them. Bitonio officially announced his retirement today, finishing with the ninth-most games played in franchise history.
