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Geno Stone

Bengals, S Geno Stone Agree To Restructure

May 6th, 2025 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

Geno Stone will remain with the Bengals for 2025, but he will do so at a reduced rate. The veteran safety has agreed to a restructured pact, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap reports.

Stone was due to receive $6.48MM this year, but that figure has now dropped to $4.9MM. The Bengals have guaranteed $1.5MM of the compensation contained in the new agreement, which ensures he will play in Cincinnati in 2025. Stone, 26, remains a pending 2026 free agent.

A seventh-round pick in 2020, Stone saw his usage rate increase with each passing season during his tenure with the Ravens. That included an 82% snap share in 2023, a year in which he posted seven interceptions and played a key role in Baltimore’s defensive success. That performance helped Stone’s market value, and he landed a two-year, $14MM pact from the Bengals last spring.

The Iowa product was a full-time starter during his debut Cincinnati campaign, but he was one of several defensive players on the team who underperformed. Stone managed four interceptions and a career-high 81 tackles, but his work in coverage left plenty to be desired. The safety spot was a talking point this offseason as a result, and in January Stone found himself among the Bengals’ potential cap casualties.

Instead, he and Jordan Battle remain in the fold. Cincinnati elected not to re-sign veteran Vonn Bell this spring, but the team did not select a safety during the draft. New defensive coordinator Al Golden has expressed confidence in Battle’s ability to take on a full-time starting gig starting in 2025, so a tandem with Stone is in store as things stand. The Bengals could of course still look to bring in a veteran, though; Justin Simmons, Julian Blackmon and Jordan Whitehead are among the experienced options still on the market.

The Bengals ranked 21st against the pass last season, and improvement in that department will be needed in 2025 for a return to the playoffs to be possible. Stone will have a role to play in that regard, and a bounce-back campaign would help his value ahead of free agency next spring.

AFC North Notes: Gesicki, Bengals, Steelers, Garrett

March 4th, 2025 at 10:56pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bengals are interested in re-signing tight end Mike Gesicki before free agency, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The team was “very happy” with his performance last season and “would like to pay” him, per Fowler. The tight end market is projected to reach $8MM per year, which would be a significant raise on Gesicki’s 2024 salary of $2.5MM.

Gesicki caught 65 of his 83 targets for 665 yards and two touchdowns in his debut season in Cincinnati. His 78.3% catch rate and 62.7% success rate were both career-highs by significant margins, indicating that he was a strong fit in the Bengals offense.

The seven-year veteran certainly benefitted from the attention drawn by Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but he was able to capitalize in a way other Bengals tight ends haven’t in recent years. In fact, Gesicki is the team’s first tight end to eclipse 600 receiving yards in a season since Tyler Eifert in 2015.

If Gesicki remains in Cincinnati, Juwan Johnson and Tyler Conklin will be the top tight ends in free agency. Their stock should improve with another option off the market, especially if Gesicki negotiates a strong deal with the Bengals.

  • Changes are coming to the Bengals linebacker room. Germaine Pratt is expected to leave Cincinnati this offseason, leaving Logan Wilson as the only returning starter. Director of player personnel Duke Tobin said at the Combine that the team was “looking at” the position and specifically mentioned tackling as an area of improvement, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
  • The Bengals may also adjust their safety usage in 2024 under new defensive coordinator Al Golden. Jordan Battle could be in line for a starting role after a strong finish to the season. “I think Jordan Battle really hit the ground running at the end of the season, and so I’m pleased with the direction that he’s headed,” said head coach Zac Taylor (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.). “I’ve got a lot of confidence in him moving forward.” That may not necessarily mean a step back for Geno Stone, who started all 17 games in 2020. He was considered a potential cap casualty, but the Bengals are poised to carry him into 2025. Golden said that the current safety room was “a great starting point,” per Dehner, but didn’t rule out an addition at the position.
  • The Steelers have long been expected to re-sign one of their starting quarterbacks from last season. Justin Fields is still considered the favorite to return to Pittsburgh over Russell Wilson, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Fields is younger and may have more future upside for a Steelers offense that is desperately searching for stability under center.
  • The Combine has a history of accelerating trade talks, a trend that continued this year with multiple teams agreeing to deals in Indianapolis. The Browns, however, did not engage in any negotiations for Myles Garrett, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Cleveland has been resolute in their opposition to moving Garrett since his trade request, and the two sides seem headed for a prolonged standoff.

Sheldon Rankins, Alex Cappa Among Bengals’ Potential Cuts

January 16th, 2025 at 8:31pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bengals are projected to enter the 2025 offseason with just under $50MM in cap space, per OverTheCap, the 11th-most in the NFL. Still, that might not be enough for the front office to accomplish all of their offseason goals.

The front office will be focused on re-signing wide receiver Tee Higgins and offensive lineman Cody Ford while shoring up a defense that ranked in the bottom 10 in points and yards allowed in 2024. An extension for Ja’Marr Chase is likely also in the works, so $50MM may not be enough for all of their offseason priorities. The Bengals have a few options to create some additional cap space, according to Paul Dehner of The Athletic, starting with two veterans in the trenches.

Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins struggled to anchor the interior of Cincinnati’s defensive line this season, making it unlikely the team will carry him at a $10.6MM cap hit. He played in just seven games before coming down with an undisclosed illness that sidelined him for the rest of the season. The Bengals can save $8.6MM by releasing Rankins, with a dead cap charge of just $2MM.

Offensive guard Alex Cappa played through an injury to start all 17 games in 2024, but struggled to protect the pocket for Joe Burrow. Cappa has been an iron man since signing with the Bengals in 2022, starting all but one regular season game with 3,319 total snaps, but he hasn’t played well enough to merit his $10.25MM cap charge in 2025. The Bengals can clear $8MM in cap savings by releasing him while absorbing a $2.25MM dead cap hit.

Dehner lists a handful of additional potential cap casualties, including linebacker Germaine Pratt, safety Geno Stone, and running back Zack Moss. One of the organization’s tougher decisions will surround the team’s longest-tenured player. Defensive end Sam Hubbard is attached to an $11.5MM cap hit in 2025, and the team would be left with only $2.5MM in dead cap by moving on from the veteran. Hubbard’s play has declined in recent years, but the edge rusher is still one of the most beloved players in franchise history. Because of his connection to the organization, Dehner wonders if the two sides may be able to find a common ground that reduces the player’s cap number and allows him to finish his career in Cincy.

As Dehner notes, Cincinnati Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn has drawn criticism for being reluctant to hand out guaranteed money beyond the first season of a contract. That’s already led to some degrees of tension with Higgins, Chase, and Jessie Bates. On the flip side, it’s also provided the front office with some easy outs on under-performing veterans like Rankins and Cappa. After the Bengals disappointed in 2024, the team could be eyeing a roster overhaul, and the team can unlock more wiggle room thanks to the creative structuring of their contracts.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Bengals, S Geno Stone Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2024 at 3:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

On the lookout for a safety addition, Cincinnati is set to add a new potential starter from a division rival. Geno Stone has agreed to a deal with the Bengals, as first reported by Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Stone will receive $15MM on a two-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds.

Stone has been a division rival of the Bengals in Baltimore for almost all of his career, minus a short two-and-a-half-month period in his rookie year that he spent on the Texans’ roster. After being drafted in the seventh round out of Iowa, Stone’s entire tenure as a Raven was in a backup capacity. He sat behind eventual free agent departures Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott, as well as versatile defensive back Brandon Stephens, before the eventual arrivals of Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton.

Injuries to Williams in 2022 and 2023, as well as the need to move Stephens back to cornerback for depth purposes, finally afforded Stone a chance to start. He took that chance and shined. With seven starts in 2022, Stone graded out as the league’s 28th best safety out of 88 graded players, according to Pro Football Focus. He earned more starts as an injury replacement for Williams this year and played so well that Baltimore often found themselves fielding three safeties, all in versatile roles. With his opportunities this year, Stone graded out well again as he battled DaRon Bland for the interception title with seven picks of his own.

The Ravens will be sad to watch Stone go, but they are set up well at the safety position with Willams and Hamilton both under contract through the 2026 season. They may need to add some depth at the position with such a valuable piece as Stone headed across the division, but it likely won’t be high on the priority list, perhaps necessitating a late-round pick.

In Cincinnati, Stone arrives to a bit of a muddier situation. For much of the year, the Bengals fielded Daxton Hill and Nick Scott as their starting safeties. PFF would grade both players extremely poorly with Hill ranking 90th and Scott landing dead last at 95th. Third-round rookie Jordan Battle would eventually step in for Scott as a starter next to Hill, and in a small sample size, Battle graded out much better as the league’s eighth-best safety, according to PFF.

Hill and Battle may be the incumbent starters, with lots of time left on their rookie contracts. Even Scott is under contract for the next two years, but Stone provides a new, intriguing option. If Hill continues to struggle, the Bengals now have a ball-hawking safety in Stone who plays far too hard to be kept off the field. Stone may even push for starting time to begin the year. If Scott or Hill show improvement, Stone gives Cincinnati the option of running three-safety sets, just like their rivals did with Stone last season.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Ravens S Geno Stone Eyeing Full-Time Starting Role

February 22nd, 2024 at 9:43am CST by Adam La Rose

Safety Geno Stone emerged as a vital element on the backend of the Ravens’ defense in 2023, boosting his free agent stock considerably in the process. His chances of holding down a full-time starting spot in Baltimore are murky, however, which could lead him elsewhere on the open market.

Stone joined the Ravens as a seventh-round pick in 2020. His tenure included a trip to the waiver wire in his rookie season, and he was claimed by the Texans. The 24-year-old did not see any playing time in Houston, though, and he quickly found himself back with the Ravens. Stone logged eight starts between the 2021 and ’22 seasons, and his workload increased further this past season.

The Ravens declined to tender Stone as a restricted free agent last offseason, but they moved quickly in re-signing him to a one-year deal. That pact carried a cost of $1.76MM, and it proved to be a bargain. Stone saw a snap share of 82% in 2023, and he racked up seven interceptions, nine pass deflections and 68 tackles. Those career-high figures have upped his market value and proven his ability to handle first-team defensive duties.

Baltimore already has fellow safety Marcus Williams on the books through 2026, however. Many of Stone’s starts have come during the time Williams has missed due to injury, though the pair were used simultaneously under ex-defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald at times. Baltimore has fellow safety Kyle Hamilton on his rookie contract, although his versatility could allow the Ravens to use three-safety looks moving forward. In any case, Stone is seeking a full-time starting spot on his next contract, wherever it comes from.

“At the end of the day, Baltimore is always home, but business is business,” the Iowa alum said during an interview on NFL Total Access. “You know that being in this league this long. I’ve been through it all, especially my rookie year. I just want to be somewhere I’m appreciated, you know, who wants me and for me to be a starter, whatever it may be. I just want my value to be there.”

The Ravens currently have just over $5MM in cap space, but a number of impact defenders are set to hit the open market. That group is headlined by defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, who will likely receive the franchise tag in short order. Linebacker Patrick Queen is also a pending free agent, and he and Madubuike profile as higher offseason priorities who will be able to command a higher price once the new league year begins next month.

Given his one year of standout production, Stone will likely be hard-pressed to join the group of 14 safeties averaging at least $10MM per year on his next contract. He will no doubt see a substantial raise from his $4.9MM in career earnings, though, as he eyes a commitment as a first-teamer moving forward. Whether or not that comes from the Ravens will be worth watching as the offseason unfolds.

NFL Injury Roundup: Jefferson, Herbert, Hamilton

December 10th, 2023 at 6:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Justin Jefferson‘s return from injured reserve may not last long. In Jefferson’s first game back from the IR-stint caused by a nagging hamstring injury, the Vikings wide receiver was knocked out of the game early with a separate injury.

While cutting across the middle of the field on a deep slant, Jefferson leapt up, arms extended, in an attempt to grab a high pass from quarterback Joshua Dobbs. While Jefferson was fully exposed in the process of the catch, Raiders safety Marcus Epps delivered a big shot to Jefferson’s rib cage from the side.

It didn’t take long for the team to rule Jefferson out for the remainder of the game with a chest injury. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Minnesota decided to transport Jefferson to a local hospital in Las Vegas. While perhaps not indicative of the worst-case scenario, the Vikings are likely just acting out of an abundance of caution.

At 6-6, the Vikings are one of a handful of NFC teams on the boundary of playoff contention, even without Jefferson for the last eight weeks. If Jefferson’s chest injury is not too painful to overcome, he would be a great asset in a playoff push to close the season.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the league:

  • The Chargers are facing an uphill battle in their attempts to remain in playoff contention. Things won’t get any easier as starting quarterback Justin Herbert was ruled out of today’s game with a finger injury, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. With Herbert out, backup quarterback Easton Stick has entered the game for his first game action since the 2020 season. Since starting in place of an injured Tyrod Taylor in Week 2 of his rookie season, Herbert has not missed a single start in his career. If Herbert’s finger keeps him out for more than a few days, with Los Angeles facing a short week, Stick could see his first ever NFL start in Vegas this Thursday.
  • Ravens do-it-all safety Kyle Hamilton was forced to leave today’s overtime win over the Rams with a knee injury. He had sat out a couple of plays after initially tweaking his knee before returning to the field of play earlier in the game. A few drives later, he would not return and was ruled out for the rest of the game. According to Schefter, the plan is for Hamilton to undergo an MRI scan tomorrow in order to determine the extent of the injury. Baltimore is set up well with Marcus Williams and Geno Stone at safety, but Hamilton lines up in so many places on the defense that he would be virtually impossible to replace with a single player if he’s forced to miss any time.

Ravens Not Looking Externally For RB Help

September 11th, 2023 at 9:43pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens were forced to swallow a heavy pill when starting running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the team’s win over the Texans this weekend. For solutions, many thought to look at the free agent or trade market, both of which are ripe with talented veterans, but head coach John Harbaugh said today that Baltimore will not be looking externally for running back help, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.

With options like Kareem Hunt and Leonard Fournette in free agency and a player like Jonathan Taylor reportedly available via trade, no one would blame Harbaugh and company for bringing in an experienced starter to tote the rock. Instead, the Ravens feel confident in the options they have in-house to take over with Harbaugh even indicating that they will be operating with a committee in the backfield.

When Dobbins exited Sunday’s game, fifth-year backup Justice Hill stepped in and immediately scored a touchdown, his first since the 2019 season. While he later scored a second touchdown, matching his career-high for a season, Hill only amassed nine yards on eight carries. Veteran backup rusher Gus Edwards, who has filled in as a starter at times in his career, was a bit more productive with his eight carries, racking up 32 yards.

Adding veterans didn’t quite deliver the desired result two years ago when Dobbins, Edwards, and Hill all missed the 2021 season with season-ending injuries before the year even began. That year, Baltimore turned to a committee featuring veteran backs like Devonta Freeman, Latavius Murray, and Le’Veon Bell in conjunction with Ty’Son Williams. Freeman and Murray each reached 500 rushing yards and delivered six scores apiece, but overall, the running game was dependent on quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Still, the Ravens added veteran rusher Melvin Gordon in the offseason, ultimately cutting him and signing him to the practice squad before the regular season. Gordon seems like an obvious callup to help carry the load without Dobbins. The Ravens also saw some impressive preseason performances from undrafted rookies Keaton Mitchell and Owen Wright, landing both on the team’s roster in some capacity to start the year. Mitchell currently resides on injured reserve himself, so he’s unable to contribute at this time. Wright, though, landed on the practice squad and may also hear his number called up to the active roster this season.

Dobbins is now expected to undergo surgery to repair his Achilles tendon this Friday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Pelissero points out that Rams running back Cam Akers recovered from a similar surgery in less than six months two years ago. Dobbins will be aiming for a similar timeline, bringing him back shortly after the start of the 2024 league year.

In other injury news, Harbaugh confirmed that starting free safety Marcus Williams “will be out for a while” after suffering a pectoral muscle injury, according to Ravens editorial director Ryan Mink. Williams missed seven games in his Baltimore debut last year and will be forced to miss more in 2023, but the team is holding out hope that he will not be out for the season. He’ll be forced to make a decision soon on whether or not he will undergo surgery, as well.

In Williams’ absence, the team turned to Geno Stone yesterday. Stone started the seven games missed by Williams last year, as well. The team also has versatile defensive backs Brandon Stephens and Ar’Darius Washington that they can turn to. Stephens recently moved back to safety after spending time at cornerback when the depth chart was thin there. Washington has always been a safety but got extensive work in the slot this offseason.

Starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum suffered a sprained knee and ankle, respectively, forcing them both to leave the game early, as well. Both players are reportedly “week-to-week” but could miss the trip to Cincinnati this Sunday. Versatile sixth-man Patrick Mekari stepped in for Stanley yesterday and is an easy choice to start as an injury replacement as he’s done so often in the past. Offseason addition and practice squad callup Sam Mustipher filled in at center and will likely continue to do so, if needed.

The team will certainly hope that they won’t need to rely on Mekari and Mustipher for too long, and though they are clearly missing many bodies for the upcoming matchup with their division-rival, they’ll hope to get some back, too. Both cornerback Marlon Humphrey and tight end Mark Andrews will have a chance to play this weekend. There’s still work to be done, but things have been looking up recently for both players.

Ravens To Re-Sign S Geno Stone

March 16th, 2023 at 1:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley was the only member of the Ravens’ group of restricted free agents to be tendered yesterday. That briefly left safety Geno Stone‘s future in the air, but he will remain in Baltimore for the 2023 season.

Stone is re-signing with the Ravens, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley (Twitter link). Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that the new contract is one year in length. Applying the right of first refusal tender would have cost the Ravens $2.63MM, so this new pact will presumably come in at a lower rate.

The 23-year-old has primarily been with the Ravens for three seasons, spending time on both the practice squad and 53-man roster. He played almost exclusively on special teams as a rookie, something which influenced the team’s decision to waive him in December 2020. The Texans claimed him, but he didn’t see any game action in Houston before ultimately returning to Baltimore.

The former seventh-rounder saw a jump in playing in 2021, as his defensive snap share rose to 23%. He took on a even larger workload this past season, with that figure spiking to 41% as the Ravens employed a number of different looks in the secondary. A midseason injury to free agent signing Marcus Williams allowed Stone to register seven starts and compile 38 tackles, a new career-high, while maintaining his special teams role.

The Iowa product could be in line for a more consistent role in 2023, after Baltimore traded away veteran safety Chuck Clark. That move was expected given the financial benefits it gave the Ravens, and their investment in not only Williams but also 2022 first-rounder Kyle Hamilton at the position. Those two are in line to start on the backend moving forward, but Stone should be able to secure a backup role behind them as he looks to play his way into a more long-term contract down the road.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/15/23

March 15th, 2023 at 9:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s tender decisions from around the NFL:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

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