Colts’ Luck offers no timetable for return

Andrew Luck was eager to get back to work Monday. He’s still not sure when he’ll be start throwing passes as he comes off undergoing shoulder surgery three months ago.

Andrew Luck was eager to get back to work Monday. He’s still not sure when he’ll be start throwing passes.

Three months after undergoing shoulder surgery, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback showed up for opening day of offseason workouts looking fit, trim and minus the sling he’d been wearing to protect his right arm.

“I am where the physical therapists, trainers and doctors say I am. I’m not going to worry about it.,” Luck said, declining to provide a timetable for his expected return. “I have full trust in the guys helping me out. I want to play, I want to play, but I’m not going to worry about it.”

Team officials have already said they don’t expect Luck to participate in much — if any — on-field drills between now and the end of June’s three-day mini-camp.

The hope is Luck will be healthy enough to return to action for the start of training camp. And there’s little doubt the Colts will be patient after watching their franchise player endure two straight injury-plagued seasons.

Luck acknowledged Monday for the first time that his physical woes began at Tennessee in Week 3 of the 2015 season. Luck led the Colts to a come-frombehind win that day to avoid a 0-3 start, but the most indelible image from the game was the sideline video of then backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck tapping Luck on the chest. Luck winced in pain.

Over the next four weeks, Luck downplayed the injury, though he had the first two missed games of his career. He wound up missing nine games that season, the last seven with a lacerated kidney, before opting for rehab over surgery.

Watt eager

J.J. Watt is more than a little antsy.

After not playing football since Sept. 22, the Houston Texans star was more excited than anyone for the start of offseason workouts Monday.

Sure, those workouts were simply conditioning and a chance to reconnect with teammates after the offseason. But after missing games for the first time in his six-year NFL career last season while recovering from back surgery, Watt relished the day.

“You’re away from the game for a year, like I’ve said many, many times before, it reaffirms how much you love it, how passionate you are about it, how badly you want to go out and play with your teammates and just enjoy the game,” Watt said. “I can’t wait.”

Watt, who was NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and ‘15, missed training camp and Houston’s four preseason games after surgery in July to repair a herniated disk. The defensive end started the team’s first three regular-season games before reinjuring his back and undergoing season-ending surgery.

He’s healthy now, and although the season is still almost five months away, he’s already envisioning being back on the field.

“My body feels really good, so I’m really looking forward to this whole offseason process and OTAs and just getting back to just playing football,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. I just want to play football. I can’t wait to get back out there and play some ball.”

Charges dismissed

A Santa Clara County judge has dismissed a rape charge against former San Francisco 49er Ray McDonald after prosecutors said the woman who made the allegation refused to testify.

Judge David A. Cena dismissed the charge — one count of rape of an intoxicated person — on Monday. Santa Clara County prosecutor Chris Lamiero said in a statement he tried to convince the victim to testify, but she refused.

The woman said she slipped and fell on a pool deck at McDonald’s San Jose home in December 2014 and continued to fall after that because of her initial head injury and alcohol consumption. She accused McDonald of carrying her upstairs to his bedroom and sexually assaulting her.

McDonald faced a maximum of eight years in prison.

Jets signings

The New York Jets have re-signed backup linebacker Julian Stanford, three days after releasing him.

The team also announced that cornerback Marcus Williams has signed his restricted free agent tender, worth $2.75 million.

Stanford played in nine games for the Jets last season, including three starts in place of the injured Darron Lee. The former Wagner College star, who has also spent time with Jacksonville, Detroit and Tampa Bay, had 28 tackles before finishing the season on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

Williams has a teamhigh eight interceptions over the past two seasons. He has started 14 games in three years with the Jets and is a possible replacement for Darrelle Revis in the starting secondary.