The Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio announced his retirement yesterday after 12 seasons in the NFL. 

Joel Bitonio was the second-round pick of the Browns in 2014 and spent the entirety of his NFL journey with the Browns. He earned seven Pro-Bowl nods and five All-Pro selections. NFL insider Ari Meirov announced his retirement on X. 

“Former Browns 7x Pro-Bowl and 5x All-Pro G Joel Bitonio is retiring from the NFL after 12 seasons,” posted Meirov on X. 

Bitonio served as the team captain six times while making 178 starts during his 12 NFL seasons. That qualifies as the 18th most starts made by any active NFL player at the time of Bitonio’s retirement. 

Per Julia Stumbaugh of the Bleacher Report, Bitonio ranked sixth among interior offensive linemen in ESPN’s pass block win rate rankings while starting all 17 games in his final year.

Zac Jackson of The Athletic reported that two of Bitonio’s first three seasons were cut short due to injuries. However, from 2017 to 2025, the Browns’ guard missed two games due to injury. He has blocked for 22 different starting quarterbacks during his tenure at Cleveland. 

Jackson revealed that Bitonio considered retiring in 2024 but decided not to. Bitonio released a statement on Tuesday confirming his retirement and stated his last unfulfilled wish. 

“When I looked at my career and all that I had achieved - the All-Pros, Pro Bowls, snap streaks and playoff appearances - there was only one thing left that I still hoped to accomplish: a Super Bowl,” said the Browns’ guard. “A small part of me thought about wanting to chase that dream, but at the end of the day, my heart was set on being a Cleveland Brown for life.”

Bitonio will now retire with $107 million in career earnings, making him the third-highest earning guard in NFL history, per Spotrac. His retirement announcement brought in reactions from his fans on social media.

Fans Pay Tribute to the Browns’ Guard Joel Bitonio

Following Bitonio’s retirement announcement, fans flocked to social media and commented their reactions under Ari Meirov’s post. 

“One of the best to ever wear brown & orange. 7x Pro-Bowl, 5x All-Pro. 12 years. One team. Through the 0-16 season and all the chaos, he stayed. Thank you, Joel. A true Brown for life. Enjoy retirement, you earned it,” commented a fan under the post. 

Fans remembered Bitonio’s unique style of play and his legacy in the Browns’ uniform.

“Still remember when Bitonio lined up at LT on basically one leg in the playoffs and still held it together. One of the toughest guys to ever wear a Browns uniform,” wrote another fan. 

One fan wished that Bitonio had stayed another year and played alongside rookie offensive tackle Spencer Fano. 

“If he had stayed one more year, passing the torch to Spencer Fano would have been a perfect storybook ending,” commented one user. 

Many fans praised the guard and wished him well in his retirement. 

“Legend. Cleveland through and through. Enjoy retirement, Joel,” wrote one fan.

“A model of consistency and excellence. Legendary career,” said another fan.

A fan concluded with a perfect farewell note saying, “Cleveland will always appreciate what you gave to this team.”

What is your message for Joel Bitonio? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Naomi Grace

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore