Joel Bitonio: Everything you need to know

Bitonio announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday. Bitonio's NFL career has come to an end after 12 seasons, all of which were spent with the Browns. With Bitonio no longer on the team, Zion Johnson will likely take over as Cleveland's starting left guard during the upcoming campaign.

Bitonio and the Browns have pushed the void date on his contract to the start of the new league year on March 11, giving him additional time to decide whether to retire or return for the 2026 season, Dan Labbe of cleveland.com reports. Bitonio's contract had been slated to void Feb. 16, but he'll now have nearly an extra month to weigh his options. Were Bitonio's contract to void, Cleveland would take on over $23 million in dead cap, so it stands to reason that the veteran guard will either ink an extension or be released by March 11, depending on his decision. The 34-year-old offensive lineman continued to perform at a high level across his 17 regular-season appearances in 2025.

Bitonio (knee/back) is active for Sunday's battle against the Bears. Bitonio dealt with injuries to his knee and back during the week and logged a DNP/DNP/LP practice progression. He was given a designation of questionable entering the weekend but will be able to take the field Sunday and should take on his usual role as Cleveland's starting left guard.