Before the 2024 regular season ended for the Cleveland Browns, veteran offensive lineman Joel Bitonio contemplated the idea of retirement. The seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro wasn’t sure about his football future, considering the toll it had taken on his body and how things played out for Cleveland last season.
That said, Bitonio decided to come back for another season, but told reporters at the Browns Foundation Golf Foundation on Monday that coming back was “truly a decision.”
"At the end of the day, I was like, I’m not ready to be done. I want to play more, and I want to play in Cleveland. And that was, that was my mindset," Bitonio said via Kelsey Russo of Browns.com.
It’s not surprising that Bitonio had to really think about coming back. However, if you are Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski or a Browns fan, you are ecstatic that the veteran lineman is back in the fold. Bitonio is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026, so it's possible that this could be his last year.
For the Browns to be successful in 2025, it will start with the offensive line led by Bitonio. Last year, the 33-year-old lineman had a 70.2 pass blocking grade (35th among 136 eligible guards), but a 59.6 run-blocking grade (81st).
However, he played the most snaps at the guard spot (1,178) and only gave up three sacks, while being penalized eight times.
As a whole, the Browns were ranked 31st in the NFL in Team QB sacked per game at 3.9. The only other team that was worse than Cleveland was the Chicago Bears at 4.0.
Cleveland didn’t make a bunch of wholesale changes to their offensive line as they signed vets Teven Jenkins and Cornelius Lewis in free agency. That said, Stefanski is banking on Bitonio and the rest of the starters from last year’s team to play better than they did in 2024.
It won’t happen overnight, but with Bitonio leading the way and his pedigree, it could get this Browns’ offense back on track.