BREAKING: Indianapolis Colts to Continue to Pay Their Stars With Another Massive Defensive Signing Worth $39 Million

The Indianapolis Colts are continuing to pay their stars as defensive tackle Grover Stewart is set to  re-sign with them on a three-year, $39 million deal, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter.

This comes after they were set to re-sign fellow Indianapolis Colts defender linebacker Zaire Franklin to a similar three-year, $31.26 million deal. They also came to an agreement with star wide receiver Michael Pittman for three years and $70 million.

Stewart was drafted by the Colts in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft and has remained a member of the team ever since.

Grover Stewart, Michael Pittman and Zaire Franklin are both homegrown defensive stars for the Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart has spent every year of his seven-year career with the Colts, and he is on track to be there until he reaches the 10-year mark.

Franklin, who was drafted just a year after Stewart, has been a part of the Indianapolis Colts for every year of his NFL career as well. Franklin was a rotational piece for the first four years of his career, but he has come into his own as a starter in the last two years.

Franklin has been extremely reliable for the Colts, having never played less than 16 games in a season. He had 167 tackles and 179 tackles in 2022 and 2023, respectively. With the recent loss of star linebacker Shaquille Leonard, the Colts didn’t want to let Franklin get away and cause more problems at the linebacker position.

Zaire Franklin, aka the NFL’s tackle leader, shuts Derrick Henry down on 4th down 🔥 pic.twitter.com/22qc4oXUc4

— The Blue Stable (@TheBlue_Stable) October 8, 2023

Star wide receiver Michael Pittman is another homegrown player that Indianapolis did not want to let walk away. The 26-year-old had several career highs in 2023 with 109 receptions and 1,152 yards receiving.

MICHAEL PITTMAN JR 75YD TOUCHDOWN😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/W1NWdnlgLY

— Colts Militia (@coltsmilitia_) October 22, 2023

Grover Stewart is integral to the Indianapolis Colts defense

Defensive tackle Grover Stewart, along with fellow interior defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, is integral to the Colts’ defense.

Stewart had 41 tackles and eight stuffs in just 11 games in 2023. He is coming off of career highs in 2022, the season in which he had 70 tackles, four sacks and 14 stuffs.

A lot of Stewart’s impact does not come across in the stat sheet. His biggest strength is his effect on the run game, where he may cause a play to go haywire despite not recording any statistics. Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire said he was one of the most underrated defenders in free agency.

“Stewart’s 2023 season was waylaid to a point because he served a six-game suspension after violating the NFL’s policy against performance-enhancing substances, but when he was on the field, he looked like the same Grover Stewart we’ve seen for a while now. His numbers last season were relatively low, but the tape told a more positive story of a guy playing much bigger than he was (6-foot-4, 314 pounds), especially in the nose tackle and nose shade positions. Stewart had one sack, 15 total pressures, 24 stops, and five tackles for loss in 2023, and wherever he lands, you can expect more than that in a full season,” Farrar wrote.

My goodness. Grover Stewart looking like Joe Greene for a second. pic.twitter.com/roMdcTVXHR

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 8, 2024

I am the leader of the Grover Stewart hive. Best nose tackle in football. pic.twitter.com/jRRvOLbQVY

— Johnny Kinsley (@Brickwallblitz) November 9, 2020

Al-Quadin Muhammad makes the tackle but look at Grover Stewart on the interior controlling his gap on the backside. Holding the center back with just one arm! Lol. Cody Whitehair was overmatched all game pic.twitter.com/Pe4IZwfrOK

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) October 5, 2020

Grover Stewart standing up the center and quickly discarding him on the zone stretch run. Makes the quick tackle for the stop on the play. pic.twitter.com/vZx7wz6XVU

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) October 5, 2020

Stewart will look to continue to make an impact on all facets of the game as one of the most controlling and dominant interior defensive linemen in the NFL.

Get More NFL and College Football Content

For more news and trends in the college football world, click here or follow me on Twitter @KusleikaAndrew.