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Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) locks arms with Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Eric Johnson II (98) on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, ahead of the game against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Grover Stewart Vital in Colts' Win Over Titans

Originally posted on Indianapolis Colts on SI
By Zach Hicks | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Indianapolis Colts' defense has been volatile in recent seasons, ranking in the bottom third of the league in most major stats since 2021. With constant change at just about every position on the defense, the only constant that has remained is the dominant duo on the interior.

On Sunday, the more underrated of the two made a big mark in the Colts' week three victory.

DeForest Buckner, rightfully, gets the national love due to his Pro Bowl pedigree, but Grover Stewart has grown into one of the better run defending defensive tackles in football. The former fourth round selection is now in his eighth season and his third contract with the team in 2025.

He has been as consistent as it gets in his time with the team, and he even brought along a few splash plays as well.

He finished the day with four run stuffs, a quarterback hit, and a blocked kick to propel the Colts past the Tennessee Titans. The veteran was all over the field for the Colts and he was a big reason for the lopsided scoreboard.

Run Defense

Stewart's calling card in the league has been his ability against the run. He is a bulldog on the inside, and his technique has improved every year in the league. He is now firmly among the league's best in this department, and the Colts pay him accordingly for his efforts on first and second downs.

Lined up primarily against two of the Titans' better offensive linemen, Lloyd Cushenberry and Peter Skoronski, Stewart still made play after play in the run game.

He finished the game with four run stuffs, including a tackle for a loss in the red zone late in the game. His power and athleticism were on full display all game long.

Grover Stewart was an absolute monster in run defense on Sunday (as he always is) pic.twitter.com/XcdLkwWdGE
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) September 22, 2025

Some Pass Rushing Juice

Stewart has never been a top pass rusher for the Colts, but he has shown steady improvement over the years. He appears to be taking yet another step forward this season, as he already has logged a few pressures through three games.

He had a quarterback hit to force an incompletion, playing great complementary football with Laiatu Latu squeezing the edge.

Grover the Pass Rusher pic.twitter.com/QobGask2Rx
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) September 22, 2025

He also made another impact play in the pass game against the Titans. Cam Ward dropped back to throw a screen pass on a long drive in the first half, and Stewart completely blew it up by reading the flow of the offensive line.

He moved laterally out to the flat and forced Ward to throw the ball into the ground on the play. This play was doubly important, as it forced an illegal man downfield penalty on the Titans and pushed them back further out of scoring range.

Grover Stewart sniffing out the screen play and forcing Cam Ward to eat it. Wish the refs called this a fumble on the field because I think this was a backwards pass but it's so damn close pic.twitter.com/krSD3m0qYF
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) September 22, 2025

Play of the Game

Stewart's most impactful play of the game came at the end of the first half. The Titans were driving into field goal range late and had a decent chance at a long 62-yard field goal.

If the Titans had made this kick, it likely would have been a one-score game heading into the half. Instead, the Colts got a big six-point swing to go up by 14 due to Stewart's heroics.

Stewart clearly must have noticed something on film, as he jumped across the line and got a hand on the kick off of the snap.

He knocked the ball wide of the uprights, giving the Colts' offense a short field to turn around and get points the other way. In my opinion, this play essentially sealed the Colts' victory in week three.

Massive play late in the half by Grover Stewart. Blocked kick leads to the Colts getting an easy field goal the other way. Essentially a 6 point swing to go into the locker room pic.twitter.com/yaSTrjyZQM
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) September 22, 2025

The Bottom Line

Stewart is one of the better defensive tackles in the NFL, and he showed it on Sunday. He was a dominant presence in the run game, made some splashes in the pass game, and changed the outlook with a massive, blocked kick.

The Colts expect this level of impact from their star players, and Stewart helped the Colts improve to 3-0 in this young season.