Cleveland Browns left guard Joel Bitonio, renowned for his reliability on the field, faced concerns when he exited Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears due to a lower back injury. Addressing the situation at his annual Shop with a Pro holiday event on Tuesday, Bitonio provided a brief update, revealing his attempt to play through the injury before realizing its severity. Although still experiencing discomfort, Bitonio demonstrated improvement by walking around the store during the event, assisting children on a shopping spree.
Despite being labeled as a “day-to-day” situation by head coach Kevin Stefanski, who pledged to monitor Bitonio’s progress throughout the week leading up to the game against the Houston Texans, Bitonio expressed optimism about his recovery. While acknowledging he is not at full strength, Bitonio emphasized the positive strides he has made and his intention to continue progressing as the week unfolds.
#Browns LG Joel Bitonio, who left Sunday's game with a back injury, said he's feeling better.
"It's feeling better today…Unfortunate I couldn't finish the game, but those guys stepped up and I'm making progress. I'm walking around today so that's a big positive." pic.twitter.com/bGrZgXFNUu
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) December 20, 2023
Having faced multiple injuries within the offensive line this season, including tackles Jack Conklin, Jedrick Wills Jr., and Dawand Jones on injured reserve, any improvement in Bitonio’s condition is considered encouraging news for the Browns.
Although he was unable to complete the game on Sunday, Bitonio commended his teammates for stepping up in his absence and remained focused on his personal recovery, emphasizing the positive strides he has achieved in the aftermath of the back injury.
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