Cleveland’s locker room holds two truths at once. Joel Bitonio likes what he’s seeing from rookie Shedeur Sanders: the focus, the “ready to work” vibe, the way he’s learned the playbook, and yet more. But he’s also totally at peace with Kevin Stefanski handing the Week 1 huddle to Joe Flacco. The reasoning tracks: Flacco won the 2023 AP Comeback Player of the Year after a late-season 4–1 surge that helped push the Browns into the playoffs, so maybe he can do that (or better than it) again?

For a veteran guard who’s lived the ups and downs in Cleveland, that kind of résumé beats the uncertainty of a rookie-only QB room. “I want to play meaningful games in December, in January,” Bitonio admitted in a recent interview with Nick Pedone at GV Artwork. After 11 seasons with the Browns and seven Pro Bowl nods, he believes, this is what it takes to move past regular-season noise.

“God, I would hope I could tell you that, ‘hey, we’re going to the Super Bowl’. But I think we take it one week at a time and we compete and we have a team that fights out there, and we’re putting out stuff that we’re proud of as a team. I think that’s going to be successful for us.” For the Browns, December football is going to be a statement of progress; miles ahead of last year’s 3-14 record. Bitonio emphasized the impact Flacco holds in making it possible. 

“He brings like calmness, this, you know, cool Joe to the team. … we have a quarterback that we trust and we know he’s going to make the plays. … we obviously had success with him a couple of years ago and we think we can recreate that.” The Browns haven’t been postseason regulars historically, but the team did come alive during Flacco’s 2023 campaign briefly. So, for now, with Deshaun Watson’s return to the field questionable, and the entire roster depending on Flacco’s experience, the margin for error could shrink.

But the Browns still believe in layering this veteran approach with youthful ambition at quarterback. At the center of it, like a majority of the Browns’ headlines this offseason, is Shedeur Sanders.

Shedeur Sanders’ Cleveland grind through the eyes of Joel Bitonio

Joel Bitonio has protected rookies since Johnny Manziel’s days. He has now spent an offseason watching the two new QB names in Cleveland slowly making their mark on the franchise: Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. And Bitonio is visibly impressed with everything he has seen. “Both guys came in since day one… put their head down and worked,” he said, noting Gabriel’s professional approach and Sanders’ intense focus despite all the media attention.

As Bitonio put it in the interview, “He’s come in and he’s worked and he gets a lot of media attention. But truthfully, (he’s) on his own, like he is dialed in. He’s, trying to learn the playbook, trying to understand what’s going on, and he’s performed well in camp.” This comes despite the mixed bag of deliveries Sanders had in the preseason. 

On one hand, his preseason debut against the Panthers. In that game, he went 14 of 23 for 138 yards, two TDs, and rushed for 19 yards. On the other hand, the preseason finale against the Rams left a lot to be desired. Going 3 of 6 for 14 yards, Sanders took 5 sacks and lost 41 yards. That might have sealed his spot as the emergency QB behind Flacco and Gabriel, but he still seems ready to contribute if given the chance.

The Browns’ gamble on young quarterbacks like Gabriel and Sanders reflects Cleveland’s broader strategy. Bitonio recognizes the challenge that comes along but remains optimistic. “You draft quarterbacks, and it’s probably the most important position in sports. So why not take a couple of chances at it and see if, you know, one of these guys can continue to develop and be a productive guy for us?”

The Browns’ 2025 narrative hinges on these overlapping threads. Veteran leadership returning to steady nerves and elevate plays, a disciplined offensive game plan protecting their chances at postseason, and promising young QBs pushing for their shot. If the system clicks, Bitonio’s vision for “meaningful games in December, in January” might just come true. For now, we wait to see what Cleveland achieves this year.