CINCINNATI, OHIO - OCTOBER 16: Geno Stone #22 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates a play against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter in the game at Paycor Stadium on October 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) Getty
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - NOVEMBER 23: Safety Bryan Cook #6 of the Kansas City Chiefs in action during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Arrowhead Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Getty
Aformer Cincinnati Bengals starter is headed back to Buffalo after a brief trip through the open market.
The Buffalo Bills are signing veteran safety Geno Stone to their practice squad, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported today. Schultz added that "the expectation is he'll be on the active roster on game day."
The move comes one day after Buffalo released Stone while trimming its roster to 53 players. The Bills had signed the 27-year-old to a one-year contract in March after his two-season run in Cincinnati ended in free agency.
Stone's return hands Buffalo an experienced reserve coming off 34 consecutive starts over the previous two seasons.
GettyCINCINNATI, OHIO – OCTOBER 16: Geno Stone #22 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates a play against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter in the game at Paycor Stadium on October 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Stone became one of Cincinnati's most-used defenders after signing a two-year contract in March 2024 . He started all 17 games in each of his two seasons with the Bengals, finishing that stretch with 185 tackles and six interceptions.
His first season in Cincinnati was uneven, but Stone still supplied some of the ball production that helped earn him his original free-agent deal. He recorded 81 tackles, four interceptions and six passes defensed in 2024, returning one of those interceptions for a touchdown.
Stone followed with a career-high 104 tackles in 2025, along with two sacks and two interceptions. Bengals.com listed him fourth on the team in tackles last season, trailing only Jordan Battle and Cincinnati's two starting linebackers.
There were also reasons Cincinnati was willing to redo the position. Pro Football Focus gave Stone a 54.3 overall grade for 2025, which ranked 81st among 98 qualifying safeties. His 50.7 coverage grade ranked 77th.
Even so, Stone's durability helped. He didn't miss a regular-season game during his Bengals tenure and played 1,014 defensive snaps in 2025, according to PFF. He also appeared in all three of Buffalo's preseason games this summer, totaling six tackles.
Buffalo initially took a chance on that experience in March. Stone then became part of a packed final-cut scenario on Sunday, when the Bills officially listed him among 21 players released.
GettyKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – NOVEMBER 23: Safety Bryan Cook #6 of the Kansas City Chiefs in action during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Arrowhead Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Cincinnati made its plans at safety clear right away after Stone's contract expired.
The Bengals' transaction log lists Stone among the players whose contracts expired March 11. One day later, Cincinnati officially signed Bryan Cook to a three-year contract through 2028. The club later added Kyle Dugger on a one-year deal in April.
That overhaul left Battle as the primary holdover at the position. Cincinnati's current depth chart lists Cook and Battle as its starting safeties, with Dugger and PJ Jules behind them.
Stone, meanwhile, is in Buffalo's plans despite missing the initial 53. His return to the practice squad comes one day after the team released him, while Schultz's report indicates the veteran should be able to play on Sundays.
That expected game-day role makes the transaction more significant than a routine practice-squad signing. NFL teams can elevate practice-squad players for games, allowing Buffalo to keep Stone available without dedicating a permanent 53-man roster spot to him.
As for Cincinnati, Stone leaves behind a solid two-year body of work.
And although the Bengals chose a different direction at safety for 2026, a formerly dependable starter in Stone has found his way back onto the field in Buffalo.
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