Among the myriad disappointments on the Cincinnati Bengals' defense this season, there's one veteran who should be an anchor in the secondary. Instead, he continues to underwhelm.
Not gonna lie, when the Bengals made this signing in free agency prior to the 2024 season, it seemed like a home run. Actual production. Stolen from a division rival. A seemingly massive upgrade at a position of dire need.
No dice! Just add it to the pile of issues on that side of the ball in Cincinnati as the team prepares to square off with the New England Patriots in Sunday's Week 12 showdown.
It's like that Nathan Fielder, "I hope you're hungry — for NOTHING!" meme. That's how it feels watching this man play. Hate to say it. Really do.
Bengals safety & pending free agent Geno Stone could at least play decent on his way out the door...
Speaking of nautical memes, cue Adam Sandler's impromptu cover of The Beach Boys hit "Wouldn't It Be Nice?" aboard a boat in the movie 50 First Dates. What a pull if I may say so myself.
That's affirmative, dear reader. We're going pop culture references for two straight punchy paragraphs. How else does one cope with this Bengals defense and/or Geno Stone without a little humor? At this point, Stone and the defense have cost Cincinnati at least two games. What could be a 5-5 record at the very least stands at 3-7.
Maybe if this was a .500 football team, Joe Burrow would've come back sooner. Players like Stone ensured that wouldn't happen.
The front office did make Stone take a pay cut before the season began. Maybe that's to explain for his urine-poor effort on any number of tackle attempts, or why he plays so lackadaisical and yields big play after big play as the team's last line of defense at deep safety.
Tell me with a straight face that Geno Stone is playing like he wants to be in Cincinnati after you [re]watch these two plays in particular.
COLSTON LOVELAND ARE YOU KIDDING?
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 2, 2025
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/OMOzjsl6vC
GET OUTTA HIS WAY‼️ @_Dwfootball11
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 16, 2025
📺 #CINvsPIT on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/Egz2vCb7BE
Come on, man. Is Al Golden screaming at this dude in the film room in the days after a game? If he's not, he should be fired yesterday. Just like Duke Tobin and pretty much everyone who's anyone in the personnel department.
Wouldn't it be nice if Stone could execute a disguised coverage with aplomb, fool young Patriots quarterback Drake Maye into an interception, and do something positive for a change?
Not holding my breath that it's gonna happen.
Just two seasons ago, Stone was a Baltimore Raven who had seven interceptions, including one of Burrow while standing in the end zone. He's unequivocally been one of the NFL's worst safeties since he started rocking a Bengals uniform.
What happened to Geno Stone? As the kids say, his downfall should be studied.
The bummer is, I don't envision the Bengals finding a younger free agent they deem worthy of paying decent money to. At least Stone is playing so bad that Cincinnati can't find a single justification to keep him. All I ask is that Stone makes Sunday's game somewhat interesting with a big play or two. Again, it's the least he could do after being such a flop in the Queen City.