Dawgs By Nature
The Cleveland Browns have had their fair share of exceptional players since their maiden season of 1946. The franchise has won eight Pro Football Championships over the course of the team’s history, tied for the third most with the New York Football Giants.
Teams don’t win championships without good offensive lines that come complete with exceptional athletes paid to clear paths for runners and competent pass protection.
OL Joel Bitonio served the Browns’ offense for 12 years and was named Captain for half his tenure in Cleveland. Seven Pro Bowls, twice voted First Team All-Pro, selected Second Team All-Pro three seasons, had 178 total starts, with 102 all in a row. Bitonio played 6,481 consecutive offensive plays beginning from the 2017 season and played hurt more times than he could count. He becomes one of those rare NFL players in today’s environment who retired from the same team that drafted him.
After the 2024 season, he thought about retiring from the game. Seriously. Perhaps it wasn’t fun anymore, or worth getting off the trainer’s table to bother with. But he was in rehab, and something inside of him wouldn’t allow his time in pro football to end under doctor’s orders. So, he stayed one more year.
And beginning this past season of 2025, he began Week 1 with the same line mates that had been ranked #3 in the league in 2023, except LT Jed Wills. As a Browns fan, you know the cast: RT Jack Conklin, RG Wyatt Teller, C Ethan Pocic, himself at LG, and LT Dawand Jones in place of Wills.
At season’s end, all of those usual faces had vanished as players get hurt like players in a violent sport often do. Bitonio ended his final two games with two victories, but the entire offensive line that he played alongside was practice squad guys, backups, and backups to the backups.
The 2025 Browns’ offensive line was ranked #31. The team had lost 12 games and 26 in the past two seasons.
In the end, Bitonio decided to hang up his cleats. Now what?
Currently, the Browns have 90 guys under contract for training camp. Nobody on the current roster is wearing #95. Nobody is wearing #73. And no player is wearing #75. That’s considered reverence.
Dawgs by Nature staff writer Barry Shuck sat down with Bitonio to discuss some things, but mostly his retirement. As always, Bitonio was candid and did not hold back. Before he officially rode off into the sunset, we had questions.
Bitonio: It truly was time. My mind was telling me to try to go win a Super Bowl and play one more year. But my body was ready to be done. It was getting more difficult. My back was an issue and getting thrown out each week, getting ready for the season and the next game, along with my ankles and knees. All...
