Geno Stone Joins AFC North Rival Bengals

In a move that will keep him in the AFC North division, safety Geno Stone has agreed to a two-year, $15 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, according to multiple reports. The deal includes a $6 million signing bonus for the former Baltimore Raven.

Stone, a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, initially served as a reserve player for the Ravens before earning a more prominent role in his final two seasons with the team. His breakout campaign came in 2022, when he started 11 of Baltimore’s 17 regular-season games, recording 68 tackles and a career-high seven interceptions.

The 24-year-old’s impressive performance likely caught the attention of the Bengals, who were in the market for reinforcements in their secondary. Last season, Cincinnati’s starting safeties were Dax Hill, a first-round pick in 2022, and veteran Nick Scott, with Jordan Battle also seeing significant playing time as a rookie.

Stone’s arrival in Cincinnati will undoubtedly shake up the depth chart and provide stiff competition for the starting safety spots. His familiarity with the AFC North division, having faced the Bengals twice a year during his time with the Ravens, could prove invaluable as he transitions to a new team.

For the Bengals, the addition of Stone represents a concerted effort to bolster their defensive backfield, an area that has been a priority for the team in recent years. With a talented but young core of safeties already on the roster, Stone’s experience and playmaking ability could serve as a valuable complement.

As for the Ravens, Stone’s departure leaves a void in their secondary, one they will likely aim to address through the draft or further free agency moves. Baltimore’s decision to let Stone walk could signal their confidence in their remaining safety options or a desire to allocate resources elsewhere on the defensive side of the ball.

The move also marks another chapter in the heated rivalry between the Ravens and Bengals, two teams that have battled for divisional supremacy in recent seasons. While Stone’s familiarity with Baltimore’s defensive schemes could provide valuable insights for Cincinnati, his former teammates will now have to game plan against a player they once shared a locker room with.

As the offseason progresses, Stone’s impact on the Bengals’ defense and the broader AFC North landscape will become clearer. For now, the former Raven has found a new home, and the Bengals have added a proven playmaker to their defensive backfield, setting the stage for an intriguing positional battle in training camp.