The Cleveland Browns’ performance was so poor last season that their longest-tenured player, Joel Bitonio, was forced to consider retirement. But after a chat with the coaching staff, he decided to stick around. In light of the news, however, Redditors clowned Bitonio’s decision, arguing there’s no hope on the horizon for Cleveland, even with Shedeur Sanders.
Advertisement
Kevin Stefanski and his entire coaching staff should count their lucky stars. Bitonio has been with the Browns since 2014 and is consistently graded as one of the best offensive linemen in the league. It took some convincing, but after laying out the full plan, Stefanski and company were somehow able to get him to return for a 12th season at age 34.
But what exactly did the Browns’ front office promise Bitonio that made him want to stay? According to him, it was a better projection with quality quarterbacks like Shedeur.
“I talked to [head coach Kevin] Stefanski, then they brought in Bloomgren and advanced [offensive coordinator] Tommy Rees. He said they were going to draft a quarterback and make all these moves. I wanted to go out on a higher note than what we experienced last year,” Bitonio told Barry Shucks of Dawgs By Nature.
Well, the Browns lived up to their promises. Not only did they draft a quarterback, they drafted two: Dillon Gabriel in the 3rd round and Shedeur in the 5th. Additionally, they traded for Kenny Pickett and signed long-time veteran Joe Flacco. It’s a massive stable of gunslingers they could turn to at any time.
However, most Redditors mocked Bitonio for trusting the Browns after reading his quotes. One specific fan stole the show by saying that Shedeur wasn’t saving him anytime soon.
“I hate to break it to you buddy, but Shedeur ain’t saving you,” they wrote.
Other fans joked about Bitonio’s decision, pointing out that he, of all people, should know better than to trust the Browns.
“Joel Bitonio apparently has never heard of the Cleveland Browns if he expects to finish things out on a high note,” a user commented.
“My dude is going to have a 50 year career if he’s planning to go out on a high note,” someone responded.
“Browns player: ‘It can never get worse… right?’” another joked.
Realistically, the Browns have an uphill battle this upcoming year if they want to compete. It’s awesome and admirable that Bitonio believes in his team, but at the same time, he has to understand how far behind the 8-ball they are.
In a division with the Steelers, Bengals, and Ravens, they are the afterthought of the AFC North. They also just had their worst season since going 0-16 in 2017. They’re rebuilding and not expected to compete in 2025. The team may not even be ready by 2026 unless they make some major changes.
Unless Shedeur comes out and lights the world on fire en route to a Rookie of the Year Award, we’re going to keep expectations low for Cleveland. And given their recent track record with drafted QBs, that idea feels far-fetched anyway.
So, good luck to Bitonio and the Browns this year; they’re going to need it. But he’s a great guy to lock down for years beyond this one.
