INDIANAPOLIS -- Clayton Geathers knew something was wrong with his neck after suffering a concussion on the final defensive play against the Tennessee Titans in Week 11 last season. The team eventually placed Geathers on season-ending injured reserve on Dec. 12.

The hope for the Colts safety was that his neck would improve.

Days became weeks. Weeks became months.

So finally Geathers decided to have surgery for a bulging disc in his neck in March.

The projected starting safety is not taking part in the team's offseason workouts and the Colts can't give a definitive answer on when he'll be ready to return to the field.

"There's no timeline," coach Chuck Pagano said. "I can't tell you when Clatyon is going to be available for us. He's doing everything as far as the rehab and the meetings, just not practicing right now. When the docs say he's 100 percent and he's ready to roll, we'll put him back out there."

The tone coming from the Colts about Geathers' health is completely different from what they've said about some of their other injured players. Owner Jim Irsay has said he believes quarterback Andrew Luck (shoulder) will be ready for the start of the regular season. The team has also said safety Malik Hooker (hip) will be on the field when training camp starts in late July.

When asked about his confidence level in returning, Geathers paused briefly before answering.

"Ummm, yes, I feel very confident with what the doctors are saying, and how it's looking and doing everything I can do on my end," he said. "I'm feeling positive about it. Listening to the doctors and when I'm ready I'm ready. Just trying to help the team as best as I can."

Surgery is the last thing Geathers wanted. He had hoped that the bulging disc would shrink. It didn't shrink to the point of where he felt comfortable.

"Saw multiple doctors, sat down with my family, gave it all the time," Geathers said. "That was the last resort, surgery. We decided to go through with the surgery and felt like it was in my best interest to have surgery. That's what happened."

It's understandable that Geathers and the Colts are going to extreme measures in protecting him. Not only is a neck injury something not to mess around with, but he's a hard-hitting safety who doesn't shy away from contact. He embraces it.

"The neck is something serious," Geathers said. "You don't want to play around with the neck. But I believe in the higher power and I pray about it and like I said, everything will work out ... I trust the process. I trust the surgery. I know that's my style of play and once it heals, I'm ready to go. We'll see how that goes. "

Veteran Darius Butler and T.J. Green are getting the starting reps at safety while Geathers and Hooker are both out.

This is the second straight year that Geathers, who has 93 tackles in his two-year career, has missed offseason activities. He dealt with a foot injury that carried over into training camp last year.

"It's frustrating," he said. "It's adversity. We all go through it at some point in our life, our career. Mine was just back-to-back. It's going to be alright."