{"id":2913,"date":"2026-06-09T17:35:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T17:35:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=2913"},"modified":"2026-06-09T17:35:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T17:35:45","slug":"joel-bitonio-announces-retirement-after-12-seasons-all-with-the-cleveland-browns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=2913","title":{"rendered":"Joel Bitonio announces retirement after 12 seasons, all with the Cleveland Browns"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

BEREA, Ohio (AP) \u2014 Joel Bitonio had a good idea in January that he would be retiring after 12 seasons with the Cleveland Browns.<\/p>\n

Read more Serena returns: Williams begins her comeback in doubles at Queen\u2019s Club<\/a><\/p>\n

On Tuesday, it was time for the offensive lineman to make it official.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis place is so special that it was hard to truly say goodbye. I\u2019m so glad I got to learn and be a Cleveland Brown my entire career,\u201d Bitonio said during a news conference after he announced his retirement via the team website earlier in the day.<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old Bitonio reminisced about his career and future plans while his wife, Courtney, and three children looked on. The announcement also came on the day the Browns opened their three-day mandatory minicamp.<\/p>\n

Bitonio played his entire career in Cleveland after he was selected in the second round (35th) of the 2014 draft. He was a stalwart at left guard and emerged as the leader of the offensive line when Hall of Fame left tackle Joe Thomas retired after the 2017 season.<\/p>\n

Bitonio\u2019s 178 games \u2014 all starts \u2014 are ninth in franchise history. He has made the most starts in orange and brown since the franchise\u2019s return to Cleveland in 1999.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a model of consistency. I hardly ever remember Joel having a bad game,\u201d owner Jimmy Haslam said. \u201cHe did what I think you ask everybody to do in any organization, and that is come to work, work hard, do your job, be a good team player, go home, spend time with your family, and come back and do it again, and he did that for 12 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though Bitonio was still coming into the facility to rehab from offseason elbow surgery, there wasn\u2019t any rush to make the retirement announcement until Bitonio felt like the time was right.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe signed like three interior linemen on the first day of free agency, so that was kind of like me and AB (general manager Andrew Berry) had already discussed that I was going to retire and I was finishing up my career,\u201d said Bitonio, a two-time All-Pro pick and selected seven times for the Pro Bowl. \u201cI know my agent talked to a bunch of teams during the combine, and people asked if I was interested in continuing to play, but there never got anything where I was telling people I wanted to play for another team.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The highlights of Bitonio\u2019s career were being part of two playoff squads in 2020 and \u201923. He missed the AFC wild-card game in Pittsburgh in January 2021 due to COVID-19. Cleveland\u2019s 48-37 victory over the Steelers was their first playoff win since the 1994 season.<\/p>\n

Bitonio had to watch the game at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy neighborhood knew I was at home, and they started lighting off fireworks after the game, and they threw a little parade down the street. So it was an unbelievable experience because we got the win. I think it would have been heart-wrenching if you\u2019re sitting there and the team loses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Bitonio also had a front-row seat to the Browns\u2019 fruitless quest to find a franchise quarterback. He was on the offensive line for 23 different quarterbacks, including 22 who made at least one start.<\/p>\n

He was also the only Browns\u2019 lineman to start and play all 17 games last season. Cleveland started 10 different line combinations last season because of injuries.<\/p>\n

The Browns have made steady progress in rebuilding the offensive line. They drafted left tackle Spencer Fano with the ninth pick. They also signed left guard Zion Johnson and center\/guard Elgton Jenkins while acquiring right tackle Tytus Howard from Houston.<\/p>\n

The lone holdover from last season might be Teven Jenkins, who played all 17 games, including four starts at right guard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I was telling my wife the other day, it still kind of feels like an offseason right now. I\u2019ve still been working out. I\u2019m obviously not training as much, not at minicamp right now, but I think when training camp starts is going to be the real moment like, \u2018OK, I\u2019m retired from this,\u2019 because that\u2019s when everything really cranks up,\u201d Bitonio said.<\/p>\n

Read more Outburst in court as federal judge finds Decarlos Brown not fit for trial in fatal NC light rail stabbing<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP NFL: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nfl<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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