BREAKING NEWS : Browns' Joel Bitonio Makes Final Decision On Retirement

Browns LG Joel Bitonio, Huntington Bank Field behind him

Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Joel Bitonio is not ready to call it a career yet as the Browns announced on Wednesday that he will be back for another season. Bitonio has been with the Browns since 2014, and there were some rumblings about a potential retirement after the Browns concluded their 2024 season. Bitonio decided that he still has some fuel left in the tank, and he is ready to come back to Cleveland for another year.

“back for more 😤 @JoelBitonio is set to return for his 12th season!” The Browns said in a post.

Joel Bitonio played his college football at Nevada from 2009-2013, and the Browns selected him with the 35th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Bitonio noted a couple of months ago that he was considering retirement, but he realized that he isn’t quite ready to hang up the cleats.

“I really want to decompress and feel it out and give myself a chance to rest the mind and the body and see where we’re at,” Bitonio said in early January, according to an article from the Browns. “The burden of playing in this league is tough. As an offensive lineman, you have to be fully committed. You’re playing 55 to 85 snaps every game. I think I got close to almost 1,200 snaps this year on offense. And that’s a big commitment.”

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has had a lot of good things to say about Bitonio over the years, so this decision from the veteran will make him smile.

“Just seeing him these last five seasons, first of all, I’ll talk about the person first,” Kevin Stefanski said during the season. “Just an amazing person, a guy I rely on a ton when talking about things that have to do with this football team. And just the way he leads, I’m always leaning on him. The player – looks like a Hall of Fame career to me. I think he’s got a lot left in the tank. This is a really, really good football player and I’ve seen some really good ones. He’s right up there.”

Joel Bitonio is obviously loved by his teammates and coaches, and it will be exciting for Browns fans to get to see him spend another season in Cleveland.