Dawgs By Nature
There had been speculation surrounding the future of Cleveland Browns left guard Joel Bitonio for a couple of seasons, and whether he would retire. That speculation continued after this past season. Then, in free agency, it really kind of ramped up once the Browns revamped their entire offensive line, unlike anything I’ve seen in all my years as a Browns fan.
It was believed that a decision would come some time during June. In recent days, after the Browns traded defensive end Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, some floated the question out there of whether Bitonio might be interested in giving a contender a shot in one final season. We now have our answer: Bitonio officially announced his retirement from the NFL, having played all 12 seasons only with the Browns.
Bitonio penned his own retirement letter on the team’s official website.
The letter is worth a read for a trip down nostalgia lane, and everything Bitonio accomplished in his career: a 2x first-team All-Pro, 3x second-team All-Pro, and a 7x Pro Bowler. I will quote one part toward the end, though, where he goes into a little bit of detail regarding his communication with the Browns this offseason on his likely decision at the time to retire as a Brown:
After the 2025 season came to an end, I was still pretty set on the fact that I was retiring, but I was still going to the facility to rehab. I was contemplating my decision, thinking about how I have been playing football for 23 years of my life – including 12 in the NFL. But there was never a need to rush the decision.
The Browns and AB were very understanding. They acknowledged what I had done for the team and understood it was a tough decision, and they assured me that they would be there when I was ready to discuss. And that’s why we extended our void date on our contract. We were giving it time, and I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. By the time free agency started, me and AB had already had the discussion, and I told him I am most likely retiring here.
I had the pleasure of watching every game in careers of Joe Thomas and Bitonio, and they were the standard of consistency, both on and off the field. Let’s all wish Bitonio the best in his post-NFL journey, and thank him for all the years he gave to the city!
