Days 'Til Colts Kickoff: No. 90 Grover Stewart

With 90 days until the Indianapolis Colts kickoff in Week 1 of the regular season, we take a look at a No. 90 who often goes overlooked, Grover Stewart.

The Indianapolis Colts have a defensive tackle on their roster that every serious NFL fan knows about; DeForest Buckner. However, he's not the only member of the defensive line who plays a critical role in the success of the Colts' front. In fact, Grover Stewart, who lines up alongside Buckner, is arguably just as important to the strength of the entire defense.

Drafted out of tiny Albany State in the fourth round (No. 144) of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Colts invested in the athletic, 6'4", 315-pound defensive force and quickly reaped the rewards of his talent. In his second season as a starter in 2020, the Colts paired Stewart with Buckner and saw a top-10 finish in run defense in each of the next two seasons.

"Big Grove" was considered a player the Colts would have to be patient and develop, but they did just that and saw him become one of the NFL's premier nose tackles. Regardless of the defensive coordinator — Ted Monachino (2017), Matt Eberflus (2018-21), or Gus Bradley (2022) — Stewart has stood out.

Stewart made such an impact in his first few years that he was rewarded with a three-year, $30.7 million contract extension during the 2020 season in November, which means he could be in line for another robust payday in the coming year.

Due to playing more of a nose tackle role, Stewart doesn't put up the statistics that Buckner does as the three-technique on the Colts' line. Still, Stewart has gotten better each season of his career and is coming off of a career year in 2023 that saw him post 70 tackles (9 for loss), 4.0 sacks, 7 quarterback hits, 1 fumble recovered, and 3 pass breakups. Each mark was a new single-season career best. 

In total, Stewart has started 64-of-96 games, totaling 239 tackles (25 for loss), 8.5 sacks, 27 quarterback hits, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovered, and 7 pass breakups.

DAYS UNTIL KICKOFF

• No. 99: DeForest Buckner
• No. 98: Robert Mathis
• No. 97: Al-Quadin Muhammad
• No. 96: Denico Autry
• No. 95: Fili Moala
• No. 94: Rob Morris
• No. 93: Dwight Freeney

---

Follow Jake on Twitter and Facebook @JakeArthurNFL. Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and Twitter.