The Indianapolis Colts will be without one of their best defenders for the next six games, after it was announced that defensive tackle Grover Stewart is suspended for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Stewart has already apologized and taken responsibility, though, he argues that he was surprised and disappointed to find out he violated the policy, and expressed that he would never intentionally put himself in this situation.
So how did he get here? The league hasn’t offered any details of Stewart’s violation, and Stewart hasn’t given any specifics either, outside of the fact that he was surprised and would never intentionally violate the policy. Of course, with some additional context, this has led to some speculation from fans and media members.
On Tuesday, the day Stewart’s suspension was announced, it was also reported that the league and the NFLPA has sent a reminder out to players, warning them that some meat produced in Mexico and China could contain Clenbuterol, a banned substance that is an anabolic agent. While neither the league nor Stewart confirmed that this was the case with Stewart, people assumed that it was, considering that the news of both things came out on the same day.
So in other words, #Colts DT Grover Stewart wasn’t tripped up by a recent warning or rule change. This warning was issued over seven years ago.
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) October 17, 2023
Better to wait and hear from Grove himself — if he’s willing to share any details — than to jump to conclusions one way or the other.
Could Grover Stewart be suspended for contaminated meat?
Again, neither Stewart nor the league has made this claim; a specific substance hasn’t even been named in Stewart’s situation. However, this wouldn’t be the first time this has happened in sports, or the NFL. Back in 2016, offensive tackle Duane Brown was suspended 10 games after testing positive for Clenbuterol. However, with the help of the NFLPA, and saved receipts, Brown was able to prove the substance was in his system because of his time dining in Mexico, and the league overturned his suspension.
This is when the initial memo was sent out to NFL players, cautioning them about the possibility. A similar situation also happened to global boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez back in 2018. Alvarez was training in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, and after testing positive for Clenbuterol, he pointed to the contaminated meat as the reason why. He eventually submitted hair follicles for testing to help prove his story.
It’s unclear if Stewart will be submitting any hair follicles or pulling out old receipts from an international vacation. Again, we don’t even know if these are the specifics of Stewart’s violation. However, it would make sense considering the timing of the reports, and Stewart’s bewilderment to violating the policy.