Kevin Stefanski‘s offensive line is looking scary. Not to the opponents, though. To his team itself. Both short-term and long-term. First off, third-year tackle Dawand Jones is out for the season with another knee injury. Looking ahead?

It’s less about injuries (aside from Jack Conklin‘s elbow issues) and more about age and contracts. Three starters are already in their 30s and will hit free agency after 2025: left guard Joel Bitonio, right guard Wyatt Teller, and center Ethan Pocic.

And at least one analyst even thinks Bitonio might hang it up after this year, which would leave a massive hole. While discussing the Browns’ locker room, Daryl Ruiter was asked how much he’s worried about the Cleveland Browns‘ offensive line. He summed it up in two words. “Very worried,” he said while adding, “This is something that I’ve been kind of keeping an eye on.”

“They’re going to transition the line here in the next year or two. Joel Bitonio, obviously, let’s start with the healthy guy. Well, semi-healthy guys, because Joel’s still dealing with the back things there a little bit. But it has calmed down, and he’s going to play Sunday. But he’s in his 12th season. Odds are he’s probably going to retire after this year. That is a massive hole in the line that’s going to form.”

Bitonio’s potential retirement has been buzzing for a few months now, going back to early offseason talks. After the Browns struggled last year (3–14), the 33-year-old guard seriously considered whether he wanted to commit to the 2025 season, considering the QB issues in Cleveland. However, with the arrival of offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren, he decided to keep playing.

“The fact that we had a terrible season was not what I was expecting,” he said earlier this year. “I sat back and waited for a little bit. I talked to [head coach Kevin] Stefanski, then they brought in Bloomgren and advanced [offensive coordinator] Tommy Rees. He said they were going to draft a quarterback and make all these moves. I wanted to go out on a higher note than what we experienced last year.”

There’s no denying that the 2024 season has left a bad taste in Joel Bitonio’s mouth. Fast forward to now, and Coach Stefanski’s veteran guard wants to end his career on a high note. After a couple of losses, the Browns finally secured their first win of the season. Will they be able to end it on a high note? That remains to be seen, and so does Bitonio’s decision after this season.

How does Kevin Stefanski’s defense affect Joe Flacco’s offense?

As the Browns prepare to face the Detroit Lions in Week 4, Daryl Ruiter thinks Kevin Stefanski is handling the offense a bit differently this season.

And it all comes down to the defense looking strong in 2025. “I absolutely think that plays a part in a couple of ways,” Ruiter said when asked if the head coach is adjusting offensively because of the defense.

“One, (Stefanski) doesn’t want to gas his defense, right? (He) doesn’t want to wear them down to the point of where they just kind of fall apart because they’re just so exhausted. But also two, where he’s putting the trust and faith and belief in them that yeah, he can be conservative and punt the football away because that defense is going to hold, going to get off the field.”

The first three weeks taught us that there aren’t many ways to attack the Browns’ top-ranked defense in 2025. They’re ranked No. 1 overall, No. 1 against the run, and No. 4 against the pass. But that doesn’t mean their defense can’t be broken. Despite the early success, opponents have had some success on third downs and long passes.

As the Lions get ready to face Stefanski and the Browns this week, if Detroit’s offensive line can hold up, expect a few deep shots downfield. So far this season, QBs have a 130.8 rating on throws 21+ yards against the Browns, including two touchdowns, showing there’s still room for big plays against Cleveland’s tough defense.