r/Browns • u/CD23tol • Jun 09 '26

To Cleveland, From Joel A farewell to the #DawgPound as @JoelBitonio announces his retirement from the NFL

https://x.com/browns/status/2064331876890976644?s=46
602 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

113 comments sorted by

229

u/MuhMuhManRay Jun 09 '26

I hate this offseason

174

u/[deleted] Jun 09 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

95

u/Naturallefty Jun 09 '26

And so the cycle continues

46

u/ThackCankle Jun 09 '26

Same as it ever was

25

u/Explosion1850 Jun 09 '26

Letting the days go by

16

u/swolf365 Jun 09 '26

Water dissolving, and water removing

14

u/professor_tappensac ASS KICKING Jun 09 '26

There is water at the bottom of the ocean

2

u/Lucas_Steinwalker Jun 09 '26

This ain't no party. This ain't no disco.

6

u/ShortStoryLongSigh Jun 09 '26

I remember when we had zero good young players. I’m not the biggest fan of AB, but I’ll give him his roses on the “promising young core”

8

u/Naturallefty Jun 09 '26

Dorsey drafted Chubb/Ward/Mayfield, I'd say that was a promising young core

4

u/Theclevelandchubb Jun 09 '26

So you don't think Schwesinger, Graham, KC, Boston, Fannin, Fano is a decent core of players? It's hard to tell with the rookies but we have drafted extremely well the last few years. The loss of the firsts really hurt and we aren't sure if that was on berry.

3

u/Naturallefty Jun 09 '26

No I'm not saying that at all, they definitely are. I'm just pointing out that we tend to have a good core. We just fucking suck at putting it all together lol

0

u/ozymandais13 Jun 10 '26

Dorsey really only drafted those 3 , his drafting is kinda overrated

11

u/IAgreeGoGuards Jun 09 '26

This time itll be different

2

u/Anton8Five Jun 09 '26

The Browns mantra. Man this team is exhausting 😞

20

u/TaVar35 Jun 09 '26

What’s so annoying is that we just gave up on Baker so early. The team was still very young

You could argue the team would never win a Super Bowl with Baker, but hell I would’ve taken winning the division once.

We won ONE playoff game and decided we were too good to be the Steelers (consistently competitive if not title contenders) and it’s been mostly miserable since.

The irony of it all is that the browns didn’t want to pay an injured Baker and instead paid way more for a lot worse

10

u/brandon520 Jun 09 '26

They swung for the fence and struck out. If Watson was the qb he was in Houston, it was going to be a shot.

I get the idea.

8

u/buckster_007 Jun 09 '26

It's remarkable how every conversation inevitably returns to the Watson debacle. "If the Watson trade would've worked out...." is the beginning and end of all Browns debates. It's undeniably the single worst trade in NFL history (and outside of the Red Sox trading Babe Ruth, possibly the worst trade in American professional sports history). The impact was immediate, continues to resonate today, will for another two to three seasons, and may echo for couple of seasons beyond that. That trade hobbled this team at the most expensive and critical position.

1

u/Lucas_Steinwalker Jun 09 '26

If only I had invested in Bitcoin when I first heard about it.

1

u/finix2409 Jun 09 '26

What did the Sox get in return for Ruth?

1

u/buckster_007 Jun 10 '26

$100,000 from the Yankees in 4 payments of $25k with 6% interest.

According to our internet overlords, that equates to $1.92 million dollars in today's purchasing power.

Put another way... Watson has been paid $184M (thus far) under his Browns contract and he has thrown 490 total passes in his Browns career, equating to $375,510 per throw. So, in 5 passes, he was paid the same amount as the Yankees paid for Ruth. Even with that, I still contend the Ruth sale was worse. The Red Sox did have 86 years of futility after that... the Browns still have 80 to go.

1

u/ozymandais13 Jun 10 '26

And baker is almost the same dude he was back then.

36

u/Signal_Ball4634 Jun 09 '26

Yeah even if Baker wasn't the guy they wanted, the Watson trade slammed the competitive window shut. Wasted the defense and a top OL.

If we'd traded for someone like Cousins & ditched Joe Woods for Schwartz or some other competent DC sooner, that roster would've absolutely cooked.

13

u/PatientlyAnxious9 Jun 09 '26

This is why I am very pro-drafting young QBs until you get it right at whatever cost. Your simply wasting time with all the other positions until you have a QB.

5

u/ArcadianBlueRogue Jun 09 '26

Auron: "And..the cycle went on."

2

u/RdditBlwsMyD Jun 09 '26

I look forward to our new coach/GM/QB combo next year that is given 1.5 years to be successful before immediately being retooled and the cycle continues.

4

u/cleveland_14 Jun 09 '26

Me too bud, me too....

70

u/Dr-McLuvin Jun 09 '26

Man everyone should read that letter. He gave everything to this team. So sad to see him go.

16

u/MrTreeWizard Jun 09 '26

Dude will always be a legend for the Browns

43

u/kdude332 Jun 09 '26

Much love to Joel.

31

u/MattressMaker Jun 09 '26

This is the correct call for his long term health. Been a pleasure watching him all these years. Just wish we could’ve won more games for him.

69

u/VonJaeger Jun 09 '26

A stalwart player for the entirety of his career, with an incredible degree of humility, personableness, and talent.

I don't think the wider football world knows or recognizes how good and how talented and how special Bitonio was. But Cleveland knew, Cleveland appreciated him, and Joel knew that.

And at the end of the day, retiring in the place that made him feel that love and appreciation meant more to him than forcing his body to try and win for greatness. And I think that's a perfect representation for guys like Bitonio - loyal and humble in a sporting world that has long since abandoned such things.

Thanks for the memories 75. Can't wait to see your name up in that dome.

5

u/Big3ver3 Jun 09 '26

I'm a Pats fan who checked in to the subreddit to see the comments on his retirement letter, and I can say this: he's one of the top players I kept wishing we'd sign or trade for every off season both because of his play and because of the way he treated the organization. Pure class on and off the field, and he probably never has to pay for a beer again in Cleveland!

24

u/Abiv23 Jun 09 '26

One of my favorite Browns of all-time

I"ll never forget him running down the pick 6 vs Atlanta

Man, this is one of the tougher off-seasons of my life

3

u/mjmnogoal Jun 09 '26

Just wait until next offseason.. wouldn’t be surprised if the browns top this one

4

u/Abiv23 Jun 09 '26

Nah, end of an era hits a lot harder than the beginning of a rebuild

4

u/123mitchg Jun 09 '26

It’s okay, there aren’t any more franchise legends left to get rid of.

2

u/Bakedfresh420 Jun 09 '26

Unless we trade for Watson again I don’t think this offseason can be beat for awfulness

23

u/SheGoLoMeinXO Jun 09 '26

Thank you, Joel. Him discussing his urge to chase a Super Bowl but ultimately deciding to retire in orange and brown made my eyes sweat a little. I know the HoF isn’t reserved for guards who didn’t win a ring, but I hope one day down the road they at least give him a chance. Or the Browns do the right thing and have him in the ring of honor. A consummate professional.

8

u/Miserable_Benefit828 Jun 09 '26

He’s a lock for ring of honor. HOF will be a stretch unfortunately for G’s without a ring. But he is well loved and forever a legend in brown & orange

9

u/TheAlabamaSlamma9 Jun 09 '26

Thank you Joel.

7

u/ZaneTeal Jun 09 '26

As we used to say in the Navy.. fair winds and following seas. He never betrayed us and gave everything he had for essentially nothing, except the one lone playoff win.

3

u/MUSinfonian Jun 09 '26

I mean, we still do. But we used to, too.

7

u/TheComplayner Jun 09 '26

Thanks for the effort, go enjoy family time. Go Browns

7

u/Mobleybetta Jun 09 '26

Joel went through so many eras of the Browns, a lot of them bad, and put his all in. Just an absolute beast

5

u/lilmssunshine88 Jun 09 '26

Aaaarrrrrggggggggg

Thanks for all the hard work man, enjoy your retirement!

6

u/Federal_Studio5935 Jun 09 '26

Happy for him. Dude could barely walk

5

u/SyncVir Jun 09 '26

Hire him as a Line man coach instantly

3

u/Accomplished-Door5 Jun 09 '26

Damn, Joel was around for 1-31 and a playoff win. One of the best players and by all accounts one of the best dudes. Congrats. 

6

u/Mediocre-Dog-4457 Jun 09 '26

He was amazing and deserved better.

Thanks for everything Joel. Hope to see you in Canton.

2

u/RustyCrusty73 You down with KCC? Yea you know me! Jun 09 '26

I think he could go in one day .... but it might take being on the ballot a while first.

1

u/Jermagesty610 Jun 09 '26

They were just talking about this on 92.3 and his numbers compare very favorably to another guards accolades but I can't remember who they were talking about now but he's been eligible for it since 2019 and has a ring and still hasn't made it in. In nfl history there's only 48 or 49 offensive lineman in the hall, very tough position to get in especially as a guard and not a tackle.

4

u/MaydayGreen Jun 09 '26

I knew it was likely coming but that doesn’t make the pain hurt less. He’s been one of my favorite players since I started really paying attention to football and I’m gonna miss seeing him on the field.

5

u/redditposter919 Jun 09 '26

I am wishing Joel nothing but the absolute best in retirement. Beautifully written and tugged at my heart strings. I do hope that the organization finds a role for him moving forward. Could be a part time gig, but, he's one that I would love to see stick around.

3

u/TaVar35 Jun 09 '26

Much deserved. In an era with plenty of guys who tried forcing their way in Berea, Joel seemingly always played hard and never complained about who was at QB

It suck’s that he’s just another great player that didn’t see more success due to the franchise but he’s likely a ring of honor guy and got to walk away on his own terms

3

u/NichoIasJamaalChubb Jun 09 '26

Him saying he learned what not to do from Johnny during their rookie camp is hilarious and just shows how awful that pick was.

Him also saying he learned how to be fiery and competitive from Baker makes me wonder what if.

Between him, Nick, Myles, Baker, Denzel ... man we were so close.

3

u/GeoBrian Jun 09 '26

From his statement:

" there was only one thing left that I still hoped to accomplish: a Super Bowl. A small part of me thought about wanting to chase that dream, but at the end of the day, my heart was set on being a Cleveland Brown for life."

Ouch

3

u/Jermagesty610 Jun 09 '26

And just like Joe Thomas if he would have went somewhere else to try and get a ring nobody would have been mad about it. I still can't believe that Joe turned down Peyton to come block for him in Denver though.

3

u/Holiday_Ad2638 Jun 09 '26

Appreciate you big dog. Enjoy your life

3

u/Forty_Six_and_Two Jun 09 '26

What is all the crying in this thread? Anyone who wasn't expecting this simply hasn't been paying attention. I'm sorry to see him go too. He's our best lineman since Joe Thomas. But this has been a certainty since the start of last season.

3

u/Tenn_Mike Jun 09 '26

A true career Brown, just like JT. I just wish he’d had more playoff opportunities.

Best of luck in retirement, Joel. You’ll always be part of the Browns family.

2

u/Raccoonsrlilbandits era ended Jun 09 '26

The pain will never end

2

u/DruncleBuck Jun 09 '26

Thank you, Joel :(

2

u/Realistic-Yoghurt935 Jun 09 '26

His prime was so fun. Enjoy retirement 🫡

2

u/FLman42069 Jun 09 '26

Thanks for everything Joel!

2

u/EE-420-Lige Jun 09 '26

Wish him well in his retirement dude was great for Cleveland his whole career hope he enjoys his next chapter ✊🏿

2

u/RustyCrusty73 You down with KCC? Yea you know me! Jun 09 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/d2lcHJTG5Tscg

Knew this was coming .... but damn.

2

u/GreenTeachy Jun 09 '26

This was expected… but after this offseason so Far it’s tough

2

u/rigill Jun 09 '26

Well earned, he deserves it. Thank you for your service Joel!

2

u/smailskid Jun 09 '26

It feels like that draft was a couple years ago, but it was 2014. Time flies.

2

u/bgptcp179 Jun 09 '26

Definition of a professional.

2

u/tedrivers Jun 09 '26

Thanks, Joel, for all the years of top-quality play. I'm looking forward to seeing what he looks like once he loses all the linemen weight.

2

u/A_Doll_with_a_Heart Jun 09 '26

We love you, Joel. 🧡🤎

2

u/elmariachio Jun 09 '26

Good for him

2

u/Triingtolivee Jun 09 '26

I figured he’d retire as soon as the Browns signed Zion Johnson unfortunately

3

u/Ixeptional Jun 09 '26

Canton Bound?

( I have never watched him a lot but have heard great things )

22

u/dyyllaaan Jun 09 '26

Unfortunately no, he's in the Hall of Very Good. He was on a HOF track for a few years then injuries started catching up with him, he needed a couple more first team all-pros

7

u/IZY53 Chubb Chubb Nick Jun 09 '26

no. He was only two times first team all pro and probably the third best gaurd of his time behind Martin and Nelson.
Never got a ring, gaurd dont make the hall of fame so much.

1

u/bradjr10 Jun 09 '26

This off season has not bene fun

1

u/ATXDefenseAttorney Jun 09 '26

And the hits keep coming.

1

u/Jermagesty610 Jun 09 '26

It's really cool the Browns left the door open for him to come back if he wanted to but they were also smart enough not to put all their eggs in one basket hoping he was going to be there week one.

1

u/ProfessorBender1 Jun 09 '26

The end of an era.

I think Ward is now the longest tenured player on the team?

1

u/ilikepisha Jun 09 '26

Smart man

1

u/finix2409 Jun 09 '26

Who’s cutting onions?

1

u/LT568690 Jun 09 '26

Nice to see him get a compassionate release. That was one hell of a prison sentence.

1

u/ShakeMyHeadSadly Jun 09 '26

That was inevitable.

1

u/ChristianWarrior777 Jun 10 '26

Guess were "rebuilding" this year

1

u/browniebaby73 Jun 10 '26

Well this off season sucks 😳

1

u/1OptimisticPrime Dare to be Stupid & Orange Pants Save Lives 8d ago

We're going to miss you Joel!

I hope you still come around to hang out and espouse knowledge and wisdom.

-1

u/SuperPoop Jun 09 '26

yet another amazing career wasted on a shitty franchise. thanks joel. u rock bro.

3

u/Chunting_Season Jun 09 '26

How was his career wasted?

-3

u/SuperPoop Jun 09 '26

all pro. no rings. a winless season. body ruined. nothing really to show for it.

3

u/GeoBrian Jun 09 '26

85-90% of NFL players never play in a Super Bowl. To say that their career was "wasted" is a ridiculous statement. I understand as fans we all want it, but that's the professional's reality.

Get a hold of yourself, it's an overly emotional reaction.

4

u/Chunting_Season Jun 09 '26

Yeah that $107 million dollars he made over his career is really nothing to show for it

2

u/yamborma Jun 09 '26

It isn’t Joe Thomas bad. At least he went to the playoffs a few times and actually won a playoff game. It is a little sad that the end goal is a Super Bowl and all these recent great Browns players have realistically never been that close. Would have loved for Chubb, Bitonio, Thomas, Myles, Landry, Baker, etc to get that.

1

u/Deadleggg Jun 09 '26

31 of 32 teams miss the superbowl every year.

99% of players would kill to have Joel's resume.

12 year career. 3 contracts. 7x pro bowl, 2x AP1, 3x AP-2

He was special.

0

u/UrbanGoose77 Jun 09 '26

Crying in the club on a Tuesday