Joel Bitonio announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday, and in doing so, he assured that he will have played his entire career with just one franchise. It is a rare feat in today’s game, especially for someone as accomplished as Bitonio was during his 12 seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
The offensive lineman entered this offseason as a free agent, and he may have been able to continue playing for someone else. But it seems, at the end, in his heart, he only ever wanted to be a member of the Browns.
Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry released a statement about Bitonio’s retirement and made a case for the longtime guard to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day.
“Joel Bitonio set the standards for on-field excellence, professionalism and loyalty during his 12-year career with our organization. Few have achieved as much as Joel has during his 178 starts. With seven Pro Bowls, five All-Pro selections and being the best interior lineman at his peak, we applaud a career that should be Canton-bound. Everyone knows Joel’s on-field accomplishments, but he was able to elevate the entire building during his tenure because he is a Hall of Fame person. He was our longest-tenured captain, a Walter Payton Man of the Year and his dedication to Northeast Ohio both within the walls of 76 Lou Groza Boulevard and beyond is aspirational to us all. Although Joel is now entering the next phase of his life, he will always be Browns family. We excitedly look forward to the day when he is inducted into our Ring of Honor and a Dawg Pound captain,” Berry wrote.
applauding and celebrating a Hall-of-Fame caliber career pic.twitter.com/JsPIk0LlMb
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) June 9, 2026
Bitonio received multiple postseason honors despite the fact that the Browns were not very successful on the field during his tenure. It is noteworthy that despite several losing seasons, the 34-year-old rarely missed a game and maintained his high level of play.
A second-round pick from the 2014 NFL Draft, Bitonio played 178 games for the Browns, starting each one. Since Cleveland was reinstated into the NFL in 1999, Bitonio holds the franchise record for games played, surpassing fellow offensive lineman Joe Thomas last season. According to The Athletic, after Thomas was sidelined by injury in 2017 and eventually retired, the Browns had 14 different starters at left tackle next to Bitonio at guard.
There was a chance that Bitonio would decide to play a 13th season in Cleveland, and new head coach Todd Monken and Berry never ruled it out. But after the organization rebuilt the offensive line with veteran acquisitions Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins and Tytus Howard, and 2026 NFL Draft picks Spencer Fano, Austin Barber and Parker Brailsford, Bitonio decided to retire as a Brown rather than join another NFL team.
As Berry said, the relationship between Bitonio and the Browns will continue for years to come, and there will be some celebratory days in the near future.
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