Joel Bitonio and the Cleveland Browns never reached the sort of success they wanted during their time together, but that doesn’t mean Bitonio’s career wasn’t special and noteworthy.
Looking back at everything that Bitonio did during his 12 years with Cleveland, Brian Baldinger called the offensive lineman “one of the great Browns of all time.”
He also said that nobody played the LG position better or more consistently than during that time.
“No matter where any play started, it always seemed it ended up behind 75. Almost 12,000 snaps in 12 years. Joel Bitonio hangs up the cleats right here. 178 starts. Joel Bitonio’s one of the great Browns of all time. What a career. What a run by Bitonio,” Baldinger said.
.@Browns @JoelBitonio for 12 years no played the LG position better or more consistently than Bitonio…No matter where the play started it always seemed to end up behind Highway 75… #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/CiYTKtO4om
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) June 11, 2026
The 34-year-old announced that he was stepping away from the league for good earlier this week. This came after months of questions about Bitonio and his future. He had publicly spoken about possibly retiring, so this move wasn’t a huge shock, but it does leave a big hole on the Browns’ roster.
Bitonio did a lot on the field during his career, but one of the most difficult things to replicate will be his veteran experience and knowledge. The Browns are becoming notably younger. That is obviously great for many reasons, but with established stars like Myles Garrett and Bitonio leaving the team, there will be a lack of proven experience from players with numerous seasons under their belts.
On top of that, Bitonio made franchise history because he started in all 178 games. He has made the most starts for the team since the franchise’s return to Cleveland in 1999. The Browns didn’t become Super Bowl contenders with Bitonio, and it’s undeniable that they didn’t reach the level they wanted to.
But there is no doubt that he is leaving the team as a historic part of its history and will be remembered fondly as someone who consistently showed up, year after year, for all 12 years.
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