CINCINNATI (WKRC) – The Bengals have reportedly restructured the contract of a second veteran this offseason to clear some salary cap space.
OverTheCap.com reported that the team has revised the contract of veteran safety Geno Stone.
He signed with the Bengals as a free agent in 2024 on a two-year, $14 million contract and was slated to earn $6.475 million this year. The new deal is a one-year, $4.9 million contract, a reduction in salary of $1.575 million. The Bengals guaranteed $1.5 million of the new contract.
Stone started 17 games for the team last year and had a team-high four interceptions but he struggled with consistency and had too many missed tackles (15 according to ProFootballReference.com). Stone graded out 136 of 171 overall among NFL safeties last season, according to ProFootballFocus.com, with a rank of 161st against the run and 127th in coverage.
The Bengals now have $26.6 million in salary cap space this season, according to OverTheCap,com, but as always keep in mind to deduct about $10-15 million from that for things the team accounts for that the website doesn’t — signing draft picks, paying for the practice squad, money set aside for signing players during the season when injuries arise and for incentives, among other things.
That still leaves roughly $12-15 million, and they can add another $5.85 million to that if they release veteran linebacker Germaine Pratt, as expected.
Some of that money could be used toward an extension for defensive end Trey Hendrickson, and with little experienced depth behind Stone and Jordan Battle at safety they may also be in the market to sign a veteran free agent at that position.
Stone is the second veteran the Bengals have restructured a contract with in the last few weeks after doing the same with running back Zack Moss. That deal saved the team $1.7 million in salary cap space.