One of Cincinnati's biggest offseason additions was safety Geno Stone. He came at a position of need for the Bengals and was fresh off of leading the AFC in interceptions in 2023. Together, he and Vonn Bell were expected to improve a safety position that was a problem area for Cincinnati last season.
Five weeks into the season though, things haven't quite played out that way. Cincinnati's secondary has struggled mightily, and those struggles were on full display when the team allowed 41 points in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5.
Bell has been on the receiving end of a good deal of criticism from Bengals fans, as he hasn't looked like the same player who suited up in black-and-orange from 2020 to 2022. But, Stone has struggled too, and the stats back that up.
Geno Stone has had a rough start in Cincinnati
Not only has Stone not been the difference-maker he was for Baltimore last season, he's been below average. Of all 79 eligible players, Stone ranks dead-last among all safeties through five weeks, per Pro Football Focus.
As much as Vonn Bell has lost a step at Safety the real albatross this season has been Geno Stone.
— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) October 8, 2024
PFF Grades for the season for Geno Stone:
Overall - 37.8
Run Defense - 45.7
Tackling - 41.1
Coverage - 39.8
He is ranked 79th out of 79 Safeties that have enough snaps to qualify…
This is obviously a major concern, as Stone was brought in to address an issue in the secondary, not create one. He and Bell have both been underwhelming, and as a duo, they've left a lot to be desired in Cincinnati's secondary.
Keep in mind, this isn't some undrafted rookie they could easily cut bait with. They signed Stone to a two-year, $14 million deal that included $6 million guaranteed, per Spotrac.
Moving forward, you have to wonder if a guy like Jordan Battle will see some more reps. Battle showed plenty of promise as a rookie. He appeared in all 17 games for the team and started in seven, recording 71 total tackles, three quarterback hits and an interception in the process.
His early action has been limited, due apparently to a slow start at training camp, but it certainly seems like it couldn't hurt to give him an opportunity at this point. He couldn't be worse than he worst safety in the league, right?
That doesn't necessarily mean that they have to bench Stone or Bell, but decreasing their snaps slightly and allocating that opportunity elsewhere would be wise, and it sounds like something they're considering.
"We’re trying to do everything we can to win the game," coach Zac Taylor said this week. "And there’s nothing off the table with any human in this building to try to do that."