Browns OL Joel Bitonio Retires from NFL amid Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson's QB1 Battle

Seven-time Pro Bowl and five-time All-Pro guard Joel Bitonio is retiring from the NFL after 12 seasons with the Cleveland Browns, he announced Tuesday.

"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," Bitonio said in a statement. "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's departure from the Browns' offensive line comes amid the ongoing QB1 battle between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry said in a statement that Bitonio would someday be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor, while also expressing hope he would eventually be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Bitonio, selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft, served as a team captain six times while making 178 starts over 12 NFL seasons.

That stands as the 18th-most starts made by any active NFL player at the time of Bitonio's retirement.

He earned seven consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2018 to 2024, and started all but two games of his final nine regular seasons as an anchor for the Browns' offense.

Bitonio ranked sixth among interior offensive linemen in ESPN's pass block win rate rankings while starting all 17 games of his final season in the NFL.

He also passed Joe Thomas during his final season for the most starts in a Browns uniform since 1999.

Bitonio will retire with $107 million in career earnings, making him the third highest-earning guard in NFL history, according to Spotrac.

Bitonio said in his statement he went into the 2025 season expecting to retire this offseason.

According to Bitonio, a group including his family and former teammates John Greco and J.C. Tretter traveled to Cincinnati for Week 18 to see him play the Bengals in what would be his final NFL action.

"When we won the game on a walk-off field goal, I found my family in the stands and pointed to them, and it just felt right," Bitonio wrote.

New Browns head coach Todd Monken said in February he was trying to convince Bitonio to return for a 13th NFL season, but that Bitonio was still deciding.

The Browns pushed back the void date on Bitonio's contract in February before his contract officially voided in March, leaving the team to take on $23.5 million in dead cap space.

"We were giving it time, and I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision," Bitonio wrote about pushing back the void date.

Free agency signing Zion Johnson is set to start at right guard, while Elgton Jenkins could slot in at left guard in the wake of Bitonio's retirement.

Monken has said offensive tackles Tytus Howard and 2026 first-round pick Spencer Fano will also start. Should Jenkins play at left guard, the Browns may see if fifth-round pick Parker Brailsford could slot in as the team's next starting center.