ROCKY RIVER — There were a number of reasons why Kevin Stefanski said he believes Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio returned for his 12th season. The Cleveland Browns coach joked Monday, June 2, one of those may have even included a recent addition to the team’s Berea headquarters.
“I think it was no small thing when we put that golf simulator in in Berea,” Stefanski said at the Cleveland Browns Foundation Golf Tournament at Westwood Country Club. “I think that’s certainly maybe tipped the scales in our favor.”
It certainly didn’t hurt the argument for Bitonio, the Browns’ longest-tenured player, to come back.
“It might’ve been, it might’ve worked,” Bitonio said at the golf outing. “Early in the offseason I was in and I was kind of working out and playing golf and Kevin would walk by and AB [general manager Andrew Berry] and I was like, at this point if I told them I wasn’t playing, it might get a little weird, you know what I mean? I’ve been using the golf simulator every day but, no, that’s funny. That’s a good part of it.”
Bitonio’s return was far from a sure thing. It was a steady topic of conversation as the Browns’ 2024 season spiraled toward its 3-14 conclusion, exacerbated by a litany of nagging injuries that left him wondering about his future.
However, when push came to shove, the player who has built a borderline Hall of Fame career by shoving defenders around decided there was another season still in his 33-year-old body.
“It was truly a decision this offseason,” Bitonio said. “At the end of the year I was truly deciding if I wanted to play anymore, and I kind of sat at home for a month or two and was in and around and talked to my wife and we just went through the process and I was like ‘I can still play football at a high level. I still want to play football.’ … But 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 kind of my mindset.”
Bitonio’s announced his decision to return on March 5. That came after discussions with not only his wife, Courtney, but also Stefanski, Berry and new offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren.
Bloomgren was hired in January to replace Andy Dickerson, who was fired along with offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey the day after the season ended. Although much of his experience was in the college ranks, most recently as Rice University’s head coach, he came with the stamp of approval from Bitonio’s former Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan.
“We had dinner,” Bitonio said. “He just kind of talked about his philosophies and his family, my family, what we expect, and he’s like, ‘Oh, you could play for four more years.’ And I was like, ‘All right, we’re talking a little crazy now.'”
It may not be too crazy, however. At least, it may not be too crazy to get another year or two out of Bitonio, a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro selection.
The Browns would certainly like to see that come to fruition. As it stands now, Bitonio, right guard Wyatt Teller, center Ethan Pocic and right tackle Jack Conklin are all free agents at the end of this season.
Bitonio wasn’t about to commit to anything beyond the upcoming season. But he also made it clear he wasn’t looking for a retirement tour just yet.
“I think it’s going to be every offseason,” Bitonio said. “I definitely am not going to take a retirement tour. I think we’re filling this out one year at a time. If I go into the next offseason, I’m feeling good, we’ll see what we got left if we want to still play. But right now I’m just focused on this season and playing for this Browns team.”
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: ‘I want to play more and I want to play in Cleveland’: Joel Bitonio talks about 12th year
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
