INDIANAPOLIS – The two-second pause said more than the five words that followed.

Here was Indianapolis Colts safety Clayton Geathers, speaking to the media for the first time in five months, mulling a question that sought his confidence level two months after he went under the knife to remove a bulging disc in his neck.

Is he certain he can return to the field in 2017 as the same bruising, versatile player he was the last time we saw him, making the signature defensive play of the Colts’ 2016 season?

“Ummm,” Geathers began before offering his assurances. “Yes. I feel very confident with what the doctors are saying and how it’s looking. I’m feeling positive about it.”

It was less than convincing.

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In the short term, the ambiguity leaves Geathers’ status not only for training camp but Week 1 of the regular season very much up in the air. For comparison’s sake, the Colts have been far more forthcoming about the status of other injured players. Owner Jim Irsay was adamant last month that franchise quarterback Andrew Luck (offseason shoulder surgery) will be good to go for the start of the regular season. Coach Chuck Pagano has said he has no doubt first-round pick Malik Hooker (offseason hip surgery) will be on the field for the start of training camp.

They've been far more guarded when it comes to Geathers.

At this point, it seems, they just don’t know.

“We’re hopeful, but I can’t ...” Pagano said Tuesday. “There’s no timeline on it.”

Furthering the speculation, the Colts kept Geathers’ March surgery a secret for two months, denying repeated media requests after the team reconvened for offseason workouts in April. To hear Geathers tell it, surgery was the last resort, his only option after repeated MRIs, visits with neck specialists and months of waiting – and hoping – the disc would shrink. It never did.

The Colts better hope the surgery worked. Geathers is a building block for the future, a potential defensive backbone, one of the few young, rising stars on a unit that was almost totally remade by new General Manager Chris Ballard in the offseason. The Colts tested Geathers in a dime linebacker role at times last year, and he flourished. It’s no secret they envision doing it a lot more this year.

Which is why neck surgery is nothing to sniff at, certainly for a physical defender who makes his living pounding running backs and receivers to the turf. The guy has 71 tackles in two seasons for a reason.

“The neck is something serious; you don’t want to play around with the neck,” Geathers said. “But I believe in a higher power. I just pray about it, and in the end, everything will work out.”

It started with a by-the-book, game-saving tackle in November. Geathers stuffed Titans running back DeMarco Murray on a fourth-and-game in Week 11. Lucas Oil Stadium roared; the Colts sealed the win. It was the sort of we're-not-budging play the Colts' lackluster defense produced not nearly enough last fall.

The downside: Geathers wouldn’t play another snap all year.

What began as a diagnosed concussion morphed into a serious neck injury in the weeks that followed, and soon enough, Geathers was sent to injured reserve, his sophomore season in the NFL over. The symptoms refused to go away. After the year ended, Geathers saw one doctor, then another doctor, then another. After a few months passed, and the pain persisted, he was left with only one option.

Surgery.

Was he scared about the impact this could have on the rest of his career?

“Absolutely,” Geathers said. “(But) I just wanted to give it time, give it a lot of time. And (the disc) didn’t shrink. So we said, ‘Let’s go ahead with the surgery.’”

He remained a spectator as the Colts commenced organized team activities this week; whether he still is come late July when training camp begins remains to be seen. But it no doubt is among the biggest questions facing a revamped defense. It can be argued Geathers is the top returnee. With his status hazy at the moment, and rookies Hooker and second-round pick Quincy Wilson (foot) also not participating this week, the defensive backfield is hurting.

And they haven’t even strapped the pads on.

Geathers remains confident. It was just a year ago he showed up at training camp in a boot, victim of a weight room injury. He would miss the season-opening loss against Detroit. The Colts could’ve used him on a day the Lions set up a game-winning field with 4 seconds remaining.

They’ll lean on him more than ever this fall, if he’s able to return to the field the same player he was in ’16. At this point, it appears, it’s just going to take some time.

“I trust the process. I trust the surgery,” Geathers said. “I know that’s my style of play, and I feel like once it heals, I’m ready to go.”

Call IndyStar reporter Zak Keefer at (317) 444-6134. Follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.