Bengals Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo on Why Geno Stone Won't Be Joining Vonn Bell On the Sideline

Jay Morrison | Dec 2, 2024

Cincinnati Bengals safety Jordan Battle (27) and safety Geno Stone (22) celebrate a stop in the second quarter of the NFL Week 9 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Las Vegas Raiders at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – Though he’s only been with the team for less than a year, Geno Stone has been the representation for the Cincinnati Bengals front office’s failure to competently address the safety position since letting Jessie Bates walk in free agency after the 2022 season.

Stone ranks fifth in the league with 16 missed tackles, another three of which came Sunday in the 44-38 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But while the Bengals made a lineup change at the other safety position last week, inserting Jordan Battle for veteran Vonn Bell, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said not to expect Stone to join Bell on the sideline.

“Geno's our guy,” Anarumo said. “We'll move forward there.”

Despite Stone’s inability to finish, and sometimes even initiate, tackles, Anarumo said he’s firmly behind the safety and his effort.

“Geno's all in, 100 percent,” Anarumo said.

Per Pro Football Focus, Geno Stone ranks 55th among 55 qualifying safeties in run defense.

Bell ranks 54th.

In terms of PFF coverage grades, Stone ranks 62nd among 66 safeties. Bell is 29th.

Bates, by the way, is sixth against the run and 10th against the pass in his follow-up to his first Pro Bowl season in 2023.

Last year the front office whiffed on Bates replacement by signing Nick Scott to a three-year, $12 million free agent contract.

Anarumo benched him for Battle, then a rookie, in Week 11.

The Bengals cut Scott at the end of the year.

In March, the Bengals signed Stone to a two-year, $14 million contract after he led the AFC in interceptions with seven.

This year, Stone has just one interception and two passes defended.

Like Scott, Stone may not play out the duration of his deal.

The Bengals can cut Stone, who is due $6.1 million in 2025, while absorbing only $1.5 in dead cap for a savings of $4.6 million.

Asked why the team hasn’t been able to get that position right since letting Bates walk, Anarumo shouldered the blame.

“We were fortunate a few years back with the situation we were in,” Anarumo said. “I'll put it on me. That's my background. I'm a DB coach at heart. I've got to do a better job to get the guys in place to make plays, get guys on the ground. That's our job as coaches. My job. So I've got to do better.”

Benching the 29-year-old Bell wasn’t easy for Anarumo. Those conversations never are. But having Battle, a 2023 third-round pick with starting experience, waiting in the wings made it simpler.

Anarumo had been working Battle into a rotation with Bell to the point where it was a 50-50 split before making the big move coming out of the bye.

“He's a very prideful human, and that's part of the reason why he's been who he's been over the years,” Anarumo said. “So, I'll keep what we said to each other to ourselves. But he came in and the plays he had, he played really well.”

Bell played 18 of the 69 defensive snaps against the Steelers.

“We gave Jordan the starting nod this week,” Anarumo said. “Vonn had (18) snaps throughout the game in some packages. Going forward we'll keep it that way. For the most part, Jordan had some good plays. Hopefully he'll continue to trend in the right direction.”

The options to replace Stone are Tycen Anderson, a 2022 fifth-round pick who has only played one career snap on defense; rookie seventh-round pick Daijahn Anthony; and 2023 seventh-round pick DJ Ivey II, who has been coming in on third downs and covering tight ends.

Another option could be slot corner Mike Hilton, who played safety on third downs last year but has been relegated to the bench on third downs this season.

At this point, with the Bengals ranked 31st in points allowed and 27th in yards allowed, Anarumo should be willing to explore all options.

But it sounds as though finding the few things that have worked and leaning into those is the path for the final five games.

“We all feel good about things we have done throughout the season and in the past that have been successful,” he said. “I’m leaning on some of those things, knowing what the guys that we have can do well.

“I want to emphasize that always,” he added. “That’s never not in the back of my head. You just kind of drill down on those things. Let’s carry those things into the game we have been successful at and let’s continue to do more of that as we move on here.”

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