Joel Bitonio has played 178 regular-season games for the Cleveland Browns. He's been with the organization since they took him early in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and he's as relevant and impactful today as he was a decade ago.
That's why his status is one of the most crucial offseason storylines for this team. Once again, he's mulling retirement, and while no one would blame him after 12 years of service, replacing him would be a steep challenge.
Even so, the Browns aren't going to push him. When asked about his situation, GM Andrew Berry claimed that the team was giving him as much time and space as he needed to make this major career decision.
"Joel's still working through that and at this point in his career, this point in his life, he deserves the time and space to do that, stay in regular communication and we'll work through that at the appropriate time," Berry told the media.
Joel Bitonio still hasn't made up his mind
While that doesn't mean he's coming back, the fact that he has yet to say that he's not returning should give the fans a glimmer of hope. He pushed back the void date on his contract to buy more time to mull this decision, so it's not all over.
There are also some major financial implications in play here. If he decides to run it back for another season, the Browns could give him a lucrative extension by signing him to a league-minimum salary and paying out the rest as a signing bonus.
That would nearly halve his cap hit, from $23.5 million to $12.6 million. The Browns have just $3.2 million in available cap space, according to Over The Cap, so this would provide significant financial relief. It would also give them another season to replace a Pro-Bowl caliber left guard.
Retirement, on the other hand, would also give the Browns an interesting avenue to spread his cap hit. They could sign him to a low-money deal and designate him as a post-June 1 retire, splitting his dead cap hit over the next couple of years.
Bitonio is a borderline Hall of Famer and one of the greatest players in franchise history. Even at 34 and playing next to a subpar line, he gave up just two sacks and posted a Pro Football Focus grade of 70.1. That was a down year for him, but it would've been a career year for most left guards.