The Cleveland Browns have agreed to terms of a contract extension with left guard Joel Bitonio.
He is the second Browns offensive lineman in two days to get a much deserved contract extension.
The dollar value of the three-year deal has not yet been disclosed.
✍️ We have signed G Joel Bitonio to a 3-year contract extension.
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 10, 2021
Sources: The #Browns have agreed to terms with guard Joel Bitonio on a contract extension, locking up their second big-time guard in two days. First Wyatt Teller, now Bitonio.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 10, 2021
Yesterday, the Browns announced they reached a deal with right guard Wyatt Teller.
What We Know
Bitonio is the longest tenured Cleveland Brown.
He turned 30 last month and had been contracted with the Browns through the 2022 season.
Bitonio is an integral part of the best offensive line in football.
It is not hard to understand why GM Andrew Berry is working these deals to keep this group intact as much as possible.
Pick any week, and you are likely to find both Bitonio and Teller among the highest graded Pro Football Focus guards.
Highest PFF graded Gs through Week 9:
1) Zack Martin, 93.9
2) Wyatt Teller, 89.8
3) Joel Bitonio, 88.7
4) Ali Marpet, 84.3
5) Shaq Mason, 82.9
6) Trey Smith, 82.2
7) Matt Feiler, 81.6
8) Laken Tomlinson, 80.3
9) Chris Lindstrom, 78.4
10) Wes Schweitzer, 77.4 pic.twitter.com/4BrVHUwSH3— Mike Kennedy (@MikeKennedyNFL) November 10, 2021
Bitonio’s Comments
He is one of the most beloved Browns.
When he was sidelined with COVID-19 last season for the team’s first playoff game against the Steelers, the players wanted to win it for him so he could come back and play in a playoff game the following week.
When Cleveland punched its playoff ticket Sunday, Kevin Stefanski took the game ball, handed it to G Joel Bitonio – the longest-tenured #Browns player who has endured SO much losing and upheaval – and said: "You're going to the playoffs."
Joel getting COVID THIS week just sucks.— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) January 5, 2021
Joel Bitonio is set to make his NFL playoff debut Sunday in Kansas City.
Long time coming and so very much deserved.
— Andrew Gribble (@Andrew_Gribble) January 15, 2021
After the deal was announced, Bitonio said:
“I’ve been here for eight years now and seen a lot of ups and downs. To be part of that and for the team to have faith in me and allow me to be here for my entire career, it really means a lot. It’s special. You see guys switch teams a lot and go from team to team, great players in this league. I saw Joe Thomas end his career here. It’s something when you get into Year 8 and Year 9, it gets in the back of your mind where it’d be really special to be in Cleveland your whole career and try to win a championship with these guys…I just want to thank the Haslams, Andrew Berry and Coach Stefanski for having faith in me and providing me with this opportunity.”
Once again GM Berry is rewarding team players who consistently perform and want to be in Cleveland.
Berry commented on Bitonio’s extension.
“After last season, we decided that one of our major football priorities would be to make Joel Bitonio a Brown for the rest of his career. Joel is one of our most decorated players and is the ideal personification of our ‘Tough, Smart, Accountable’ mantra. We value Joel’s high-level performance, leadership, consistency and durability…We are all excited about this extension and hopeful that at the end of his career we will all be looking forward to celebrating Joel’s gold jacket fitting in Canton.”
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