Part of a long-running defensive tackle duo alongside DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart will see his season pause. The NFL handed the veteran Colts nose tackle a six-game PED suspension Tuesday, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson.
A fourth-round pick in 2017, Stewart is the longest-tenured Colts defender. The team gave him an extension during his 2020 contract year, and this ban will prove costly. Stewart, who will turn 30 on Friday, will lose $3.1M as a result of this suspension. The longtime starter said he unknowingly took a banned substance.
I am responsible for what I put in my body, and I should have taken the proper steps to educate myself,” Stewart said. “I will learn from this moving forward, and I will take the appropriate measures to ensure this never happens again.”
This will be a big loss for the Colts. Stewart has started 70 career games, and Pro Football Focus slots him 18th among interior defensive linemen through six games. Lauding his run defense, PFF graded Stewart as a top-35 inside D-lineman from 2021-22 as well. Stewart posted career-high numbers in sacks (four) and tackles for loss (nine) last season. Through six games this year, he is on pace to establish a new career-best mark in QB hits, having five already.
The Colts have taken a step back defensively in Gus Bradley‘s second season, ranking outside the top 20 in both points and yards allowed, but the franchise has been able to bank on its Buckner-Stewart duo since forming it via the blockbuster Buckner trade in 2020. Part of Chris Ballard‘s first draft as GM, Stewart signed a three-year, $30.75M extension in November 2020. That contract expiring after this season represents a tough blow to Stewart, who is attempting to use this season as a platform for a lucrative third contract — via another Colts extension or a free agency payday.
Tuesday’s development also brings new territory for the Colts, who have seen Stewart suit up for every game over the past four seasons. The Albany State (Ga.) alum has not missed a game since September 2018 and has only missed two over the course of his career. Indianapolis has enjoyed the luxury of its DT staples remaining healthy; Buckner has only missed one game as a Colt.
The team picked up former Jaguars first-round D-tackle Taven Bryan this offseason, but 2022 fifth-round pick Eric Johnson profiles as the more likely replacement, residing as the only other nose tackle on Indy’s roster. Johnson has played 22% of the Colts’ defensive snaps this season. PFF slots Johnson outside the top 110 among DTs.
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