The Cleveland Browns' veteran guard Joel Bitonio has been one of the longest tenured players in franchise history.

There were speculations about his retirement at the end of the 2025 season. Regardless, the Cleveland Browns have made a major move around him.

On Wednesday, Browns expert Daniel Oyefusi posted on X, reporting the current status of Bitonio’s void date. 

“The Browns and LG Joel Bitonio agreed to move the void date on his contract to the start of the new league year in March, as @ByJasonLloyd first reported. His contract was initially supposed to void on Monday,” he wrote.

Bitonio was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Browns as the 35th overall pick. Since then, he has been an integral part of the offense through thick and thin.

He is, however, 34 years old, and has addressed retirement twice now. 

Bitonio’s void date for his contract was supposedly on Monday, February 16, leaving him the options to either retire or join another team.

But the Browns seem unwilling to let go of their core player so soon, and pushed his void date to March 11, 2026.

Jason Llyod, a writer for The Athletic, explained the implications of this decision as the Browns bought Bitonio some more time.

“It gives Bitonio about three more weeks to decide on his future. The previous deadline was yesterday,” he posted on X.

One thing is clear: the Browns are still weighing their options regarding the veteran's future.

The Browns' Offensive Unit sustains on Joel Bitonio's decision

In his 12 years as the Browns’ guard, Joel Bitonio played in 178 games. He made 11,847 snap counts, recorded four tackles, and forced four recoveries.

Moreover, Bitonio has seven Pro Bowl selections to his name, consistently from 2018 to 2024. He claimed NFL All-Pro honors in 2021 and 2022. 

But despite these achievements, Bitonio might quit for good. The Browns’ consistent failures have taken a toll on Bitonio’s health. He has suffered numerous back and knee injuries, which is why his retirement would not surprise anyone. 

But it would be an irreversible loss to the Browns, as both experts and fans agree that he provided stability and was a voice of reason. For instance, elite defensive end Myles Garrett credited Bitonio with upholding the team’s morale.  

“He’s a rock that everybody leans on,” Garrett said. “He’s just steady and consistent. He’s always the same.” 

On the flip side, if Bitonio picks another franchise over the Browns next season, it would be an emotional blow rather than a strategic one.

ESPN's Aaron Schatz has linked Bitonio with the marginally better Los Angeles Chargers. But that is just his opinion.

Fans already await the impending decision on QB1, and now Bitonio’s added a new layer.

What do you think he will decide? Comment your thoughts and follow the Cleveland Browns Community for more.

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Kalp Thaker