A second-round pick in 2014, Bitonio became a starter from Day 1 and is the franchise's new-era leader in games played with 178. The future Hall of Fame candidate was one of the top guards of his era and was named an All-Pro five times.
The 34-year-old Bitonio dealt with back issues the past few seasons and his retirement was not unexpected. Bitonio played every snap last season at left guard in the final year of his contract and would have been coveted as a free agent if he wanted to continue his career.
However, Bitonio never envisioned himself playing for another team.
"Heading into the 2025 season, I was fairly confident it would be my last," Bitonio wrote.
"Truthfully, as time passed and my career kept going, there was never a point where I could envision myself in a different uniform. I felt a loyalty to the Browns and it gave me a sense of pride to represent a fan base who is consistently loyal to us. I started the job here, and once I got to a certain point, I knew I wanted to finish the job in Cleveland."
His departure means the Browns will likely have at least four new starting offensive linemen in Head Coach Todd Monken's first season.
Heading into this week's mandatory minicamp, rookie Spencer Fano had been working as the starting left tackle, joined by Zion Johnson (left guard), Tytus Howard (right tackle), with Elgton Jenkins getting reps at both center and right guard. If Jenkins is the starting center, third-round rookie Austin Barber could become the starting right guard.