Lamar Jackson scorches Geno Stone for signing with Bengals - “You’re dead to me”

Geno Stone is joining a divisional rival, leaving one of his soon-to-be ex-teammates unhappy about it.

On Monday, the Cincinnati Bengals signed the safety to a two-year, $15 million contract. He had played the last three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He broke out in 2023-24 with a career-high 68 tackles (44 solo), nine pass deflections and seven interceptions (also the most among safeties) as an injury substitute for Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton.

Superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson was not exactly thrilled at the news, invoking Tiki Barber on X/Twitter:

"Geno Stone, You'r Dead to us, You're Dead to me!!"

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How good is signing Geno Stone for Bengals?

The Cincinnati Bengals' 2023-24 downfall has been largely attributed to Joe Burrow's season-ending wrist injury. But there was at least one factor that played into it: a lack of dependable safeties.

After Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell departed for the NFC South, director of player personnel/de facto general manager Duke Tobin had to turn to sophomore Daxton Hill and former Super Bowl champion Nick Scott and rookie Jordan Battle. Eventually, though, all three proved not enough to prevent a playoff absence - the Bengals' first since Burrow's rookie season.

That's what makes the Geno Stone signing a massive win for the team, especially in a draft class that will feature a dearth of safeties, according to ESPN's Matt Miller:

"This is the steal of the free agent class so far. In Cincinnati, Stone will line up at free safety in a young secondary. To steal (him) from a division rival only adds to the high grade for the value of the Bengals being able to bring him in."

USA Today's Chris Rolling is also a fan, noting that Stone can make the starting roster right away:

"Lou Anarumo loves his three-safety looks, so Stone can be on the field with Dax Hill and Jordan Battle in certain packages.

"This doesn’t necessarily take safety off the board for the Bengals in the middle to late rounds of the draft either, as depth remains a concern. But getting the starting two or three names right after the fumble that was losing Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates in the same offseason was the priority. Stone, on paper, stops the bleeding and can help the secondary get back on track."

Tobin will have nine draft picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.