However, there is one decision that the Browns can not control: the retirement of Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio, the long-time stalwart on the left side who would be entering his 12th-straight season with the team if he opted to run it back for another season in Cleveland.
Would Bitonio, who turns 34 in October, be down to play another season for the Browns if they are looking to undergo a soft rebuild under Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski, trading their best player away to secure much-needed team building assets heading into the future? Or would such a decision influence signify a rebuild and the need to move on to his own future opportunities? Well, frankly, it’s hard to say, but in an interview with BrownsZone, Bitonio revealed that he will have a decision on the subject soon, but it likely won’t have much to do with Garrett’s future either way.
“I don’t think his request is really going to impact my decision. I do understand he’s frustrated. We were all frustrated this last year. It was disappointing. So I get that side of where Myles Garrett is coming from,” Bitonio explained via BrownsZone.
“Obviously, we want Myles on the Cleveland Browns. He’s the best pass rusher in the league. You don’t want to get rid of a generational player like that. So we’re hoping they can work things out. We want Myles to be a Cleveland Brown for a long time.”
On one hand, Bitonio is correct to feel as though Garrett’s decision should have nothing to do with his own. Garrett is an absolute force of nature, a massive mountain of a man who can attack opposing offensive linemen with an incredible ferocity unlikely any of his peers, and if the Browns are going to rebound, it’ll be a whole lot easier to do with the Texas A&M product rushing the passer as their focal point player. With that being said, the Browns were very bad with Garrett on their roster and would likely be even worse if he leaves; does Bitonio really want to take part in a rebuild at this stage of the game, or worse, get traded to another team because he no longer fits a re-tooling Browns roster?
For better or worse, the Browns are not what you would call a strong bounce-back candidate to go from the second overall pick to the AFC Championship, Washington Commanders style. If the Browns are heading toward another brutal campaign, maybe Bitonio would be wise to ride off into the sunset, knowing that he will unquestionably go down as an all-time Browns great, regardless of how the 2025 NFL season shakes out. Otherwise, it could be a long year that doesn’t even necessarily end in Cleveland.