Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Grover Stewart got popped for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) earlier today, resulting in a six-game suspension by the NFL. Stewart becomes one of six players to get busted for PEDs this season, joining the Falcons’ Amani Bledsoe, the Panther’s Sean Chandler, the Saints’ Jake Haener, the Cowboys’ Ronald Jones II, and the Jaguars’ Cam Robinson, per Spotrac.
Colts’ nose tackle Grover Stewart, one of the NFL's top run-stoppers, has been suspended without pay for six games for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
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— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 17, 2023
Haener, Jones, and Robinson are the most notable. Jones, a two-time Super Bowl champion running back, signed with Dallas this offseason as a potential replacement for longtime rusher Ezekiel Elliot. However, he was released after his suspension was complete in September. Meanwhile, Haener was a fourth-round pick by New Orleans in the 2023 NFL draft but failed a drug test early in the summer. Finally, Robinson, the former 34th overall pick in the 2017 draft, missed his team’s first four games of the season.
Grover Stewart: NFL Career
Grover Stewart, originally a fourth-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts, played his college ball at Albany State in Albany, Georgia. Stewart spent his first two seasons with Indianapolis as a backup, tallying just 40 tackles and three TFLs before becoming a full-time starter in 2019. The six-foot-four, 314-pound defensive lineman has become a fixture on the Colt’s defense, accumulating 8.5 sacks, 121 solo tackles, 22 TFLs, and 22 quarterback hits from 2019-2022.
Stewart again was named the starting nose tackle in 2023 but has struggled to begin the year. He failed to register a sack over his team’s first six games. The 29-year-old has 20 tackles and five QB hits.
Defensive Lineman Replacements for the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have floundered on defense this season. They allow 25.3 points per game, the 24th-highest average in the NFL. However, the front seven has played well despite allowing nine rushing touchdowns. They are holding opponents to just 3.7 yards per rush attempt.
Former first-round pick Taven Bryan and rookie Adetomiwa Adebawore will fill the shoes left by defensive lineman Grover Stewart. Bryan is in his first year with Indy but has 12 tackles, two sacks, and one force fumble in six games. He started 16 games with the Cleveland Browns in 2022, registering three sacks and 2 TFLs. Meanwhile, Adebaworeha has played in just two games this season. He has played 11% of the defensive snaps while accumulating no statistics.