Stephen Holder, ESPN Oct. 17, 2023, 4:20 p.m. ET
Close
- Stephen joined ESPN in 2022, covering the Indianapolis Colts and the NFL as a whole. Stephen placed first in column writing in the 2015 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors competition and was previously a top 10 winner in explanatory journalism in the national Associated Press Sports Editors competition. He has been covering the NFL since 2005, covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2005 to 2013 and the Colts since 2013. He previously worked for the Miami Herald, the Tampa Bay Times, the Indianapolis Star and The Athletic.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Colts nose tackle Grover Stewart, one of the NFL’s best run stoppers, has been suspended six games without pay for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Stewart is eligible to return to the Colts’ roster for a road game against the Bengals in Week 14. The nature of Stewart’s violation remains unclear, but he admitted 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 that I had violated the guidelines. I respect the integrity of the game and would never intentionally put myself or the team in such a situation. I am responsible for what I put into my body and that’s what I should do.” I took the right steps to educate myself. I will learn from this in the future and take the appropriate measures to ensure that something like this never happens again.
Editor favorites
1 relative
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 around $3.4 million in salary and bonuses.
The Colts’ defense has rarely had to play without Stewart, who has shown remarkable perseverance throughout his career. He has not missed a game since 2018 and has appeared in 84 consecutive contests.
Stewart recorded 70 tackles last season, ranking fifth among defensive linemen. Along with star 3-technique defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, Stewart is part of one of the best interior defensive duos in the NFL.
But the Colts will have to look elsewhere for contributions while Stewart is out. Eric Johnson II, Taven Bryan and freshman Adetomiwa Adebawore will be among the candidates taking over Stewart’s snaps.