Browns Guard Joel Bitonio Announces Retirement After 12 Seasons

One of the Cleveland Browns' longest-tenured players of all time is hanging up his cleats.

Seven-time Pro Bowl offensive guard Joel Bitonio announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday, June 9 in an open letter posted on the Browns' website. Bitonio, 34, spent his entire, 12-year career with the Browns after Cleveland took him in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Between 2017 and 2023, Bitonio played 6,481 consecutive snaps on offense across 102 straight starts for the Browns at left guard. During the 2025 season, Bitonio surpassed Hall of Fame offensive tackle Joe Thomas for most career starts by a player for the Cleveland-based franchise since it returned in 1999.

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"Wearing that orange helmet and being part of this franchise – from getting drafted to signing three contracts – I felt a loyalty to the Browns," Bitonio wrote, "and it gave me a sense of pride to represent a fan base who is consistently loyal to us. I started the job here, and once I got to a certain point, I knew I wanted to finish the job in Cleveland."

The stalwart left guard earned all seven of his Pro Bowl nods in consecutive seasons from 2018 to 2024. Between 2018 to 2020, Bitonio was on the All-Pro second team three straight years between 2018 and 2020, and he was named a first-team All-Pro in 2021 and 2022.

Bitonio was officially a free agent at the start of the new league year in March, but he wrote in his retirement announcement that he was "fairly confident" the 2025 season would be his last. He wrote that his free agency decision came down to either another contract with the Browns or retirement and eventually chose the latter.

"To the city of Cleveland, our loyal fanbase, the Haslam family and the entire Browns organization, thank you," Bitonio concluded in his retirement announcement. "Thank you for 12 years of unwavering support and unforgettable memories."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joel Bitonio retires after 12 seasons with the Cleveland Browns