Joel

Bitonio

Bitonio played in 178 regular season games for Cleveland over his 12 seasons, rarely missing games and making seven consecutive Pro Bowl games starting in 2017. He played at a high level even in his final years as a standout in an otherwise awful Browns offensive line. Last year Pro Football Focus graded Bitonio as the league’s eighth best pass-blocking guard, as he allowed just two sacks and one QB hit over 17 regular season games. The Browns will struggle to fill the void left by Bitonio in 2026.

“It’s a pretty big life decision for him. I don’t think that we can operate under the assumption that he’s absolutely coming back because he hasn’t said that in any space,” Berry told reporters. Great, just what we needed, an offensive line Aaron Rodgers Saga. Bitonio would assumedly play left guard for the Browns if he returns, pushing Teven Jenkins to the bench. The Browns certainly have operated like they can’t count on Bitonio returning.

Bitonio, who has been contemplating retirement openly, asked the Browns for a few more weeks to do so. The club agreed. If Bitonio plays in 2026, he’ll be entering his age-35 season. Bitonio last carried a PFF grade above 80 in the 2022 season, though he’s remained solid and reliable for the Browns over the last three seasons.

Already young at quarterback, running back, and tight end, this statement reads like an admission that the Browns plan to completely retool the offensive line in 2026. Cleveland’s entire main starting line from 2025 — Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Cam Robinson, Jack Conklin, and Ethan Pocic — are all free agents. So is swingman Teven Jenkins. Bitonio, entering what would be his age-35 season, is a candidate to retire. The fact that the Browns are, per Chris Easterling, embarking on a plan that “almost assuredly lower the average age on the roster” would seem to make it plausible that they could bring back just a scant few of last year’s linemen. It would likely help keep the Browns skill positions players as “hard to trust” in fantasy football if the Browns offensive line underwent a ton of turnover, even if they upgraded at some positions.

Right tackle Jack Conklin remains out of practice with a concussion and left guard Joel Bitonio remains out with a back issue. Teller’s return will help a struggling Browns offense, but it isn’t going to change their fortunes overnight. Expect this to be a low-wattage offense for the remainder of the season.

That makes two weeks in a row where Conklin will sit with a concussion, and he didn’t practice all week. Joel Bitonio (knee/back) is questionable after not practicing either of the first two days, while Wyatt Teller (calf) remains out. Cleveland’s OL injuries are dire enough that we must point out that Zak Zinter (back) is also questionable.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Bitonio only has a chance to play “because of experience” after missing all three practices this week with a back injury. Cleveland would likely shuttle Teven Jenkins into a starting role if Bitonio missed Sunday’s game.

Bitonio has now missed back-to-back days to start the week with this new back listing. It’s possible he misses Cleveland’s Week 3 game against the Packers on Sunday, but linemen usually get more leeway on not practicing, particular veterans like Bitonio, when they are hurt. We’d be unsurprised if he was listed with a questionable tag on Friday.

Bitonio is a 12-year veteran and no stranger to playing through injuries. Thursday’s injury report will be a bit more telling. Joe Flacco has done a good job avoiding sacks this year, taking just two in each of his first two games back in Cleveland. Losing Bitonio would likely force him to get the ball out quicker, resulting in more check-downs, but that’s something to think about only if Bitonio is unable to suit up later this week.

Bitonio, 33, has mulled retirement in the past, but the long-time Brown refuses to say when he’ll officially call it quits. He did shoot down any ideas of a retirement tour, however, as he prepares for what will be his 12th NFL season. Bitonio signed a three-year, $48 million contract extension with the Browns in 2021 that will keep him under contract through this season. Bitonio has started all 161 games he has appeared in for the Browns and earned a PFF blocking grade of 63.9 last season, playing more than 1,000 snaps for the eighth consecutive season.