-
Stephen Holder, ESPN
INDIANAPOLIS — 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.
Stewart will be eligible to return to the Colts’ roster in Week 14 for a road game against the Bengals. The nature of Stewart’s violation remains unclear, but he acknowledged the violation in a social media post.
“I want to apologize to the National Football League, the Colts organization, my teammates, our fans and my family,” he wrote on his Instagram Story. “I was surprised and disappointed to learn I had violated the policy. I respect the integrity of the game and would never purposefully put myself or the team in this kind of situation. I am responsible for what I put in my body, and I should have taken the proper steps to educate myself. I will learn from this moving forward, and I will take the appropriate measures to ensure this never happens again.
Stewart is in the final year of a three-year, $30.75 million extension he signed with the Colts in November 2020. His suspension will cost him roughly $3.4 million in salary and bonuses.
The Colts’ defense has rarely had to play without Stewart, who has been remarkably durable in his career. He has not missed a game since 2018 and has played in 84 consecutive contests.
Stewart registered 70 tackles last season, which ranked fifth among defensive linemen. Along with star 3-technique defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, Stewart is part of the one of the top interior duos in the NFL.
But the Colts will need to look elsewhere for contributions while Stewart is out. Eric Johnson II, Taven Bryan and rookie Adetomiwa Adebawore will be among the candidates to take on Stewart’s snaps.
