The Buffalo Bills announced that Geno Stone won’t make their final 53-man roster. However, the experienced safety might have a new house if the Pittsburgh Steelers pull the trigger on him.
According to Alan Saunders of Steelers Now, the Steelers could very well be interested in Stone’s services to add to their free safety depth. Stone, who played 34 games for the Bengals in the last two years, could stay in the AFC North.
Stone is just 27 years old, in the middle of his prime, and has been consistent, healthy, and fruitful during his career. While it might be alarming that he didn’t make the cut for the Bills, he could be a blessing in disguise for the Steelers.
Steelers FS depth chart
The free safety position is one where the Steelers really need improvement. They only have two on the roster in the names of Jaquan Brisker and Rayshawn Jenkins. Stone could easily be an upgrade, or at least contribute heavily in the rotation.
Sources: The #Bills are releasing veteran S Geno Stone today.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 30, 2026
Stone signed with Buffalo this offseason and has 14 career INTs and 21 PBUs. A return to the practice squad is possible, but he’ll explore the market first. pic.twitter.com/6H2c903iiB
After all, Stone had two interceptions (including a pick six), four passes defended, two sacks, and 104 tackles in 2025. Those are better stats than Brisker’s, for instance, except on the passes defended category, where Brisker had eight.
Stone does have a big flaw
Stone has to get way better at tackling. Even if he surpassed the 100-tackle mark, his missed tackle rate was a career-high 20%. In total, he had 26 missed tackles in 2025 for the Bengals.
Per Next Gen Stats (NGS), Stone held one of the highest individual missed tackle rates among qualified safeties, finishing with a 53.8 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus.
