Clayton Geathers moving towards return against Baltimore Ravens

Clayton Geathers has been making progress during training camp, and the Indianapolis Colts have been patient while he works his way back from a knee injury.

It looks like the patience is paying off.

With a second straight offseason spent in the training room, Geathers is on track to make his preseason debut against the Baltimore Ravens, barring any setbacks.

“Hopefully, hopefully,” Geathers said via Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. “I feel like it’s going well. If that day come, if I’m up, I’m up.”

This is great news for the Indianapolis defense, which lacks playmakers at the moment. With a defense that is looking for players to step up, the Colts can afford to be diligent with the talented defensive back.

Geathers should not play until his body is 100 percent ready to go, along with his head. One year ago, while making his way back from a neck injury, he admitted to playing timid at times.

“It was limited, it was really just getting a feel,” Geathers said. “At times, I was a little scared. I was scared ... just being back, that’s a serious injury. Just going back, I was fine with it, felt good, no problems. That really gave me some clarity.”

As it sits, with Geathers and Malik Hooker — who tore his ACL — making their journey back as starters, the Colts have holes in the secondary. TJ Green and Mathias Farley have garnered most of the snaps while Geathers and Hooker are out. In years past, Farley has served as a serviceable backup, but Green — who was drafted as a potential star in the making — has yet to live up to expectations.

The return of Geathers, and Hooker for that matter, is important in its own right due to the fact Indianapolis has yet to find a star edge rusher to get after the quarterback — which means the Colts must find other ways on the defensive of the ball to generate big plays.

With that in mind, Colts head coach Frank Reich is like the rest of the fanbase: Hopeful.

“I think we’re hoping he’ll be ready,” Reich said. “I think a lot of it comes down to a confidence, and a lot of it comes down to the player. When a guy’s ready and healthy, sometimes there’s just that last emotional step of, ‘Hey, I’m ready to out there and go full speed for 20 plays or whatever it is.’”