BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Joel Bitonio announced his retirement on Tuesday after 12 seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
The offensive guard played his entire career in Cleveland after he was selected in the second round (35th overall) of the 2014 draft.
Bitonio said in a statement released through the team that he was fairly confident he was going to retire at the end of last season. However, he was still coming into the team facility during the offseason to rehab
from injuries.
“I was contemplating my decision, thinking about how I have been playing football for 23 years of my life — including 12 in the NFL. But there was never a need to rush the decision,” he said. “The Browns and AB (general manager Andrew Berry) were very understanding. They acknowledged what I had done for the team and understood it was a tough decision, and they assured me that they would be there when I was ready to discuss. And that’s why we extended our void date on our contract. We were giving it time, and I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. By the time free agency started, me and AB had already had the discussion, and I told him I am most likely retiring here.”
Bitonio started all 17 games last season and played 1,027 offensive snaps. His 178 games — all starts — are ninth in franchise history. He has made the most starts in orange and brown since the franchise's return to Cleveland in 1999.
Bitonio was a two-time All-Pro pick and selected seven times for the Pro Bowl.
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