Grover Stewart should’ve been a Pro Bowler for the Colts and the stats prove it
The NFL announced this season’s Pro Bowlers and the Indianapolis Colts only had one player selected and it was not Grover Stewart.
Unfortunately, we all saw it coming. Despite dominating all season, Grover Stewart was not selected for the Pro Bowl. Furthering the disrespect, Stewart was not even named an alternate. The Indianapolis Colts had one player who made this year’s Pro Bowl: Quenton Nelson. Indianapolis also has five alternates: DeForest Buckner, Zaire Franklin, Stephon Gilmore, Yannick Ngakoue, and Jonathan Taylor. However, Grover Stewart has been Indy’s best player all season and anyone who watches the Colts knows that.
Stewart has been having a career season and dominates opposing offenses from the nose tackle position. He sets the tone for Indianapolis’ quality defense every game and his No. 90 jersey is always in the backfield making plays. Stewart’s season should’ve been rewarded with an invitation to the Pro Bowl and that’s clear on the film and on the stat sheet.
Colts NT Grover Stewart said his goal this season “was to put the league on notice about Grover Stewart, and I think I did that.”
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) December 22, 2022
Said he was “shocked” he didn’t get a Pro Bowl nod.
How Grover Stewart compares to Pro Bowl interior defensive linemen
Obviously, stats aren’t everything but they do tell part of the story. Stewart has elite film as well, so watching games will also benefit his case. However, comparing his numbers to the interior defensive linemen who did make the Pro Bowl shows that Stewart deserves the recognition of elite status.
In the AFC, the three interior defensive linemen that were selected are Quinnen Williams of the New York Jets, Jeffery Simmons of the Tennessee Titans, and Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs. Here’s a look at how those three players’ stats from this year compare to Stewart’s.
Stewart: 14 games, 62 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, four sacks
Williams: 13 games, 47 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks
Simmons: 13 games, 49 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks
Jones: 14 games, 32 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks
As you can see, no one is racking up tackles like Stewart, and they’re productive tackles. Additionally, Stewart is putting up these numbers playing with two linebackers who are top 10 in the NFL in total tackles. That means he is on a competitive defense where he must really earn his production. The only category that Stewart is lacking in is sacks, and that’s because the Colts don’t use him much as a pass rusher from the nose tackle position.
While Stewart has definitely had a Pro Bowl-worthy season, calling him a snub isn’t necessarily a critique of the players selected but more so a critique of the Pro Bowl process and what it actually means in evaluating a player’s season. For starters, there are only so many spots, so there will always be deserving players left out. For example, Christian McCaffrey, the NFC’s leader in all-purpose yards wasn’t one of the conference’s three running backs selected.
Ultimately, Pro Bowl selections come down to people voting and it’s not necessarily a real reflection of how well a player is playing in their circumstances. While it’s a nice honor for players to pick up, and it occasionally has financial implications, it doesn’t mean much in terms of how great a player is playing.
