Joel Bitonio’s football future remains in limbo after his distinguished career with the Cleveland Browns. The offensive lineman has not officially announced his retirement, but he remains unsigned as a free agent with no actionable interest to date on the market.
There was an outside chance that Bitonio could return to the Browns for a 13th season, depending on how their offseason played out. But after acquiring three veterans, and using three of their 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on offensive linemen, Cleveland has no room or inclination for a reunion with the former All-Pro guard.
However, other teams could make use of his services, particularly contenders that are looking to acquire veteran depth for a competitive season and a potentially long playoff run. That also would seem to suit Bitonio, who was still a viable player and could be looking for one final chance to get an elusive Super Bowl ring.
That is why Bitonio is being linked to a big AFC move, with Bleacher Report analyst Kristopher Knox identifying him as a potential target of the Buffalo Bills.
“The Buffalo Bills face uncertainty at left guard after David Edwards departed for the New Orleans Saints in free agency. However, scooping up free agent Joel Bitonio might make such a competition moot. While Bitonio will turn 35 in October, he’s a seven-time Pro Bowler who started all 17 games for the Cleveland Browns this past season. He wouldn’t give Buffalo a long-term option at left guard, but he’d provide a quality starter for 2026,” Knox wrote.
Bitonio is one of Cleveland’s five most-used starters from last season who left the team as free agents this offseason. Interestingly, only one has signed with a new team so far, with guard Wyatt Teller joining the Houston Texans. Center Ethan Pocic, and tackles Jack Conklin and Cam Robinson remain on the market well after it opened and a month after the 2026 draft ended.
That could be an indication that the Browns were right to move on from that group of 30-year-olds and rebuild their offensive line from scratch. They have done so by adding veterans Tytus Howard, Zion Johnson, and Elgton Jenkins, and drafting Spencer Fano, Austin Barber, and Parker Brailsford to join returnees, Teven Jenkins and Dawand Jones.
Bitonio started all of his 178 career games with the Browns after he was a second-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, so it will be very strange to see him in another uniform if he does choose to extend his career with a willing team.
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