Geno Stone seems to be signaling a potential farewell to the Cincinnati Bengals following his recent social media activity. On Friday night, the experienced safety shared a photo of himself in uniform on X, accompanied by a simple peace sign emoji, leading fans to speculate about his future with the team.
Over the past two seasons, Stone has faced challenges on the field, earning Pro Football Focus grades of 53.1 and 54.3, which indicate a struggle to replicate the level of performance he showcased earlier in his career with the Baltimore Ravens. This past season, he led the Bengals with 23 missed tackles and had the second-highest total in 2024 with 17 missed tackles, trailing only Germaine Pratt.
Additionally, Stone allowed a passer rating of 110.4 in his coverage area this season, which is a significant increase from the previous year. His comments after the Bengals” loss to the Steelers on November 16 reflected his awareness of the team”s struggles. “It comes down to certain situations where people aren”t in the right spot, and that”s what it came down to,” he noted, acknowledging the need for improvement in tackling, including his own.
Throughout his tenure in Cincinnati, Stone has amassed a considerable amount of playing time, totaling 2,114 snaps over the last two years. However, given his recent performance, it seems unlikely that his role will expand moving forward. The Bengals” director of player personnel commented on the team”s roster construction for 2025, emphasizing their commitment to retaining top talent while recognizing the deficiencies in their defense. “We have clear, elite, elite, world-class, best-in-the-world players on this football team,” he stated. “Did we build off of it enough? Was the defense up to it enough? Obviously, it wasn”t. That falls on me.”
As the Bengals assess their roster and look to improve, Stone”s future with the team remains uncertain. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see how this situation unfolds in the coming weeks.
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